MAIN OBJECTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 193, 17 July 1941, Page 8

MAIN OBJECTS

GOVERNMENT’S POLICY. WAR AND INDUSTRY. At the close of the Financial Statement in the House of Representatives last evening, the Minister of Financo said that the objectives of the Government at tho present time can bo summarised under three main headings: The paramount necessity of meeting war needs in men, materials, and financial resources. Tho need to keep the everyday economic life of the community functioning to the fullest extent possible. The need after meeting these com-: mitments to maintain living stan-] dards at tho highest level possible after we have contributed supplies and done all that can be done to, help win tho present conflict. Tim war effort is not confined to the military section —civilian workers and women in and out of the home are playing their part not only in main-, taining the Forces overseas to the f nil- j est extent, but also by producing goods for our own use and for the use. of the people of Britain, and by ren-1 dering the service essential to achicvo] our maximum effort. Local nianufac- 1 turers have achieved splendid results in making good the deficiency in im- j ports and in producing increased j quantities of materials essential for! our war effort. Our primary producers have contributed in record volume 1 the goods necessary to sustain life in the Dominion, and required for the maintenance of our people in the United Kingdom and the Forces in tho field. We must continue to work and produce. The war must not be used as an excuse to put the clock back. We have [ £rcat advantages over people in many j jtlier countries in that we have already lchievcd many of the things which! ither peoples are now lieginning to isk for. We have gone a long wav in milding up a better world in which Lore is more equality of opportunity ind fewer extremes of wealth and poverty, while we have freed men from iconomic uncertainty. Having gained nuch, we have much more to lose unoss we win this war. This financial review is placed beoro honourable mcml>ers during one of tho most devastating conflicts in human history. It appears that the whole world may l>c drawn into tho, vortex of war—a war not of tho choos-! ing of tho democratic peoples but of 1 the cold and calculating will of a small body of persons who have studied tho reactions of normal peoples and used the knowledge so naiiied together with an application of diabolical genius to crush and subjugate the peoples of the world. Czechoslovakia, Austria, Roland, Denmark, Norway, Luxemburg, tho Netherlands, Belgium, France, Yugoslavia, and Greece have all in turn been subjugated and occupied. The force of the Axis Powers has now been turned against Russia, with whom they were in complete agreement, and no one knows how soon the cables may announce an extension of the area of conflict. All that we can do is to resolve that come what may, we will hold on to tho freedom which lias been built up through the ages, and all that we have shall be used with no thought of surrender, that with the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, South Africa, India, and tho colonics we are one —strong to resist and determined to overcome. Aided by tho magnificent material resources of the United States of America mobilised under the leadership of its great President,'Mr Roosevelt, we shall ultimately see the conflict ended in the triumph of the freedom-loving powers. Then we will turn our hearts and minds to building up a State worthy of the sons of freedom who j have devoted their lives to its maintenance and expansion.