UNITY PLEA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23405, 22 July 1939, Page 14

UNITY PLEA

NATIONAL REGISTER LABOUR BOYCOTT AUSTRALIA'S" DANGER PKEMIEB'S FRANKNESS - , . . By Telegraph—-Press Association—Copyright (Received July 21, 0.30 p.m.) MELBOURNE, July 21 One the eve of a conference with the Labour leader, Mr. J. Curtin, about,the dispute over the national register the Prime Minister, Mr. JL G. Menzies, addressed Scots at a luncheon after his arrival in Melbourne from Perth. He said Australia was in danger, and appealed for a united, national outlook. Mr. Menzies criticised "persons of obscure mental processes who rose up and said 'this is Hitlerism' when a democratic Government, democratically elected took steps to ensure that its deci=sions were carried out." He was referring to Labour's disobedience in regard to signing the national register and the threat' bv key industries to dislocate Australian industry.

"I appeal for discipline," said the Prime Minister. "1 warn you that we cannot get the maximum national effort,if some of us think our way of running the country is the only way and that, if the majority is against that way, then the majority is wrong." "lluion leaders are now asking for legislative assurance that the national register v will not be used for conscriptive purposes. The executive of the Amalgamated Engineering Union, ■which. has 30,000 Australian members, has advised its rank and file not to sign the 'register.