LABOUR CAUCUS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 10 February 1944, Page 2

LABOUR CAUCUS

SUPPORT FOR WAR EFFORT MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS DISCUSSED Wellington, This Day. Miscellaneous subjects were discussed by members of the Parliamentary Labour Party at their caucus in Wellington yesterday. These included stabilisation, price control and the rationing system, including the proposed rationing of meat. The two-day caucus ended in the late a'lternoon, and in an interview last evening the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, said the caucus which was the first he had attended since the General Election, was an excellent one. There had. he added, never been a better spirit among Labour members nor greater enlhiTsiasm for their principles and cause. Mr Fraser said that the question of implementing the three years’ programme the Labour Party had placed before the electors in September and which had been endorsed by the country had occupied the greater part of the two days the caucus had met. Other administrative questions were given close attention. The war effort in its various phases was also discussed, and the strongest determination to carry it on and to support the cause of the United Nations to the limit of New Zealand’s resources was unanimously expressed. On the question of rationing the opinion of caucus was definite that New Zealanders should share the commodities they possessed fairly with their kith and kin in Great Britain, and that no sacrifice was too great to help those upon whom had been thrown the burden of defending and upholding world freedom to a greater extent than any other British country

INDUSTRIAL STRIFE Mr Fraser specially referred to the difficult task of the Minister of Labour, Mr Webb, and the fine manner in which he had discharged his duties, never sparing himself night or day in an endeavour to keep the machinery of industry turning normally. It was regrettable. said the Prime Minister, that certain industrial workers had not .shown appreciation of the Minister’s magnificent efforts on their behalf and that of the country. The Minister still had difficulties, but Mr Fraser said he had confidence that these would be adjusted in a sensible way. With a full recognition of the difficult and onerous work of the coal miners, the caucus felt that if those employed at the Strongman and Liverpool mines as well as other workers who had engaged in industrial sti i£e, understood that their attitude and actions were hindering the war effort, and threatening to destroy in a large measure wffiat was being done to help the United Nations and the men, women, and children of Great Britain, they would abandon obstructionist tactics and throw themselves heart and soul into the task ahead in the fight for freedom, which at the best would last for a number of years yet. The continued and unabated confidence expressed in all members of Cabinet, said Mr Fraser, was most satisfactory as an indication of unity, confidence and comradeship in the ranks of the party. The Prime Minister thanked the members of the caucus for their unanimous expression of confidence and trust expressed in himself in his absence through illness at the caucus in October. The Government party, he said, was never better qualified to carry out its Parliamentary duties and the governmental work of the country than it was at tie present moment. He regretted the loss from their ranks of several members, and was satisfied that the new • members would give effective service to the party