SOCIAL POLICY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24539, 23 March 1943, Page 4

SOCIAL POLICY

EPOCH IN BRITAIN CHARTER FOR FUTURE (Peril. G\<ir> p.m.) LONDON, March 22 Mr. Churchill's four-year plan has been seized upon by London newspapers as the main subject for comment. The Times says: "Mr. Churchill's proclamation of a fouryear plan may well mark an epoch in the social policy of the country. Little can be expected on such an occasion beyond the main outlines of the programme, but these are en couragingly comprehensive. "Mr. Churchill, however, seemed to speak of money as a static, limiting factor, and to ignore the extent to which a dynamic social and economic policy can create the new wealth from which it is financed. "Mr. Churchill's other note of, perhaps, exaggerated caution, was his apparent assumption that no substantial advance can be made along the lines of social progress until after the war; indeed, until some time afterwards. It will he a grave disappointment to the people if no foretaste, of the reforms can be offered even while the war lasts." The Daily Mail says: "Mr. Churchill's speech is by far the most important that even he has delivered. Britons never before have had unfolded before them a conception so vast, so comprehensive and so stimulating. Here at last is a real charter for the post-war future. "The Churchill Plan, as undoubtedly it will become known to us and to historians, is one to grip everyone's imagination. Its scope is stupendous and will take time to digest. This is not pre-vision of a remote future. It is a four-year plan to be ready for operation as soon as possible after the war." The Daily Telegraph says it thinks the plan goes far beyond the scope of the Beveridge proposals. Tho paper dwells on the need for international cooperation in post-war rehabilitation and says security and welfare, like safety, are not possible for any country by its sole efforts. Tho Daily Herald says the nati,on noAv has had a candid and, in many respects, encouraging disclosure of the Prime Minister's outlook, but it takes Mr. Churchill to task on one point—the impression he gave that he deprecated 'public discussion of post-war problems at this time. The paper says it does not believe that the keen interest of British factory workers in the winning of the peace has weakened their effort toward the winning of the war.

MASTERLY REVIEW COMMENT BY MR. FRASER (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Monday "From tlrfe vigorous tone of Mr. Churchill's speech no one would imagine that he had just recovered from a severe illness," said the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. F. Fraser, to-day. "The manner in which he dealtwith various war and post-war questions was masterly. His warning against undue optimism in imagining that the war was already nearly won, and his emphasis on the difficult, hard and long road yet to be trodden before victory is achieved, was specially notable at this stage, when there may be a tendency to relax the war effort of the United Nations on the wrong assumption that the defeat or collapse of the Nazi and Fascist Powers may be imminent. "Mr. Churchill's references to social security, equality of opportunity in education and industry generally, and to post-war trade, unemployment and international relationships, political, economic and commercial, were most interesting and impressive." Commenting on Mr. Churchill's special reference to consultations with the Dominions about international trade and finance after the Avar, as well as immediate post-war relief for devastated centres. Mr. Fraser said the New Zealand Government was closely examining some of the proposals in this connection submitted to it through the Secretary of the Dominions.