VITAL TO VICTORY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23679, 11 June 1940, Page 11

VITAL TO VICTORY

BURYING QUARRELS WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS MINISTER'S STIRRING CALL [from ouk own connksponnknt] LONDON, May 21 ".Do you want to shorten the war? Then give me your answer when you are at work by delivering tlie goods. Forget your own quarrels in the common effort. Every effort you make will be a valuable contribution to our success, so do not spare yourselves." This was the clarion call to British workers and employers made by Mr. Ernest, Bevin at Swansea, in his first big public speech as Minister of Labour. Tho Minister was speaking at a dinner of coal trimmers, at which employers and many industrial interests were represented. "Remember, my friends," he said, "that every might, from -Antwerp down to the French frontier, there is nothing standing between barbarism and civilisation, between what you value and utter destruction, but the splendid bodies and courageous souls of your own sons. "That is all. They stand there, a human wall facing death to preserve our liberty and future civilisation. You want to shorten this war. You want to win without too much loss of life. You want your brilliant lads to come back. Then never mind vonr own

quarrels with employers or. workers for the next six, seven or 12 months. "To n.ll our workers, I say:—Every extra effort you make, every extra aeroplane you build, every extra tank or bomb or box of tinplates you turn out, every additional ton of coal you produce, every time you turn round a ship a day quicker, you are helping to bring your own sons back from the "To the employers ] say:—You may in the past have been tempted to haggle about your 15 per cent or your capital position. Remember, if Hitler wins there will bo no capital position. My appeal to you is: Do not worry about anything now but winning the war. I say the same to the men. We can very well sit down and talk about things afterwards." ."Do not wait until you get a lot of regulations and every problem solved," Jlr. Bevin added. "Begin now. 1 call for the exercise of collective initiative, whether it means an hour or two over or whatever it means."