NOT TO BE BULLIED!

Grey River Argus, 22 May 1947, Page 5

NOT TO BE BULLIED!

N.Z. PRIME MISTER

ON INDUSTRIAL TROUBLES

CHRISTCHURCH, May 21. Neither those who thought that they could bully the Government nor hopeless reactionaries, were going to rule, said the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, in making reference to industrial troubles, in his speech at Linwood this evening. The Government, he said, had a full sense of its responsibility, and it did not shirk the tasks of government, even when they were difficult and distasteful. The Government was determined not to let the country down, Mr Fraser said. The Deputy-Leader of the Opposition, Mr K. J. Holyoake, had complained that the Government had not called Parliament together to discuss industrial troubles. If the Government could not deal with industrial trouble —and it could as it was showing by its ability to deal effectively with any situation —then, how on earth could the Oppositoin, simply by talking, help at all? If he thought that the Opposition had anything to offer to help the country, he would have called Parliament together; but

he knew that, instead of help for the country, there would have been simply foolish and futile criticism, and no step towards improving conditions.

Industrial conditions, he said, were not as good as he would like them, but he did not think, for a single moment, that the organised workers, and the vast majority of the waterside workers —perhaps 95 per cent., —would approve of any action that savoured of dictating to the people of New Zealand, in recklessness, about the institutions of the country, and the thoughtlessness that might be inflicting loss on the community. “If anyone tries to do anything that will endanger the structure of social justice, he will not be permitted to do it,” said the Prime Minister. “The Labour Government was elected to govern, and will govern. I want to make that very clear!” Mr Fraser said he did not expect to be helped by the Opposition. On the contrary, he knew that they would try to exploit every situation that arose to embarrass the Government, and to split the forces of Labour, which were not going to be split.