WARTIME STRIKES

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24189, 3 February 1942, Page 4

WARTIME STRIKES

TOTAL NOW 120

LACK OF FIRMNESS

ME. HOLLAND SPEAKS OUT

SUPPRESSION or NEWS (0.C.) TE KAUWHATA, Monday Recent industrial hold-ups were vigorously condemned by Mr. S. G. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, in an address to-niglit supporting Mr. A. S. Sutherland, National candidate in the Hauraki by-election. Mr. S. Synies presided over a large attendance which completely filled the hall. Mr. Holland asked if any person present would say that the recent tomfoolery at the Auckland abattoirs was a proper thing in wartime. A Voice: What would you do to stop it? Mr. Holland: I would tell everyone in New Zealand that the law would have to be observed. Voice ol the People At the outset of the war, the Government declared strikes illegal, said Mr. Holland. Since that time, owing to lack of firmness in dealing with a small section of trouble-makers, there had been 120 strikes. He said the public were so fed up with all the backing and filling which was going on that if a general election were held to-morrow they would welcome an opportunity of expressing an opinion. That, privilege, however, was reserved for the electors of Hauraki and Temuka on Saturday, and he believed that their vote would make a great impression on the Government. The Bay of Plenty by-election had indicated the trend of public feeling, and the Prime Minister's silence on that occasion was more eloquent than anything he could have said.

War Cabinet's Limited Powers

There was probably no one who had been offered Ministerial office more often than he had in recent months, said Mr. Holland, but lie had decided not to join the War Cabinet because of its restricted powers. Domestic policy and war policy were, in fact, inextricably linked, but the Government had tried to keep them apart. The War Cabinet was allowed nothing whatever to do with the preparation of the Budget, which had a vital bearing on the whole of the war effort. Legitimate news was being suppressed because it did not suit the Government, continued the speaker. When the Hon. P. C. Webb helped to open a railway in the. South Island tho radio was used to give the event fullest publicity, but when he recently accompanied the Prime Minister, the lit. Hon. P. Fraser, overseas, nothing was said about it, although the public was entitled to know why he went and what he did. At the conclusion of the meeting, which was also addressed by Mr. Sutherland, a number of questions were answered by both speakers, and a vote of thanks was carried by acclamation.