THE WAR EFFORT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24828, 30 January 1942, Page 4

THE WAR EFFORT

MR HOLLAND'S CRITICISM "JELLYFISH" POLICY ALLEGED DISLOYALISTS IN INDUSTRY (Special) CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 29. "Can anyone say he is thoroughly satisfied with the war effort in New Zealand?" asked the Leader of the Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland) at a meeting at Tinwald, when he spoke in support of the candidature of Mr Jack Acland for the Temuka seat. He criticised various angles of the war effort, and particularly condemned the industrial strikes which, he declared, were due to a " jellyfish " policy. A blind man could see the mistakes in the Government's administration, said Mr Holland, and he was deeply concerned about the Empire and the country, because every day the war continued lives were sacrificed. Was it fair to work 40 hours y week in this country and yet ask Britain and the United States to work longer hours to produce munitions for us? Mr Holland asked. He believed that the future of industrial relations in the Dominion lay along the lines of better understanding between employers and employees. Compulsory unionism had built up a feeling in the minds of the workers that employers were their natural enemies. He believed that 95 per cent, of the workers were anxious and willing to give a decent day's work for a decent day's pay. Would anyone say it was right that in war time men who dumped produce in the ship's hold should receive £lO to £l2 a week, while the farm workers, who produced the goods, received £3? It, was not fair, right, or just. New Zealand was reaping that which it had sown. "We have men around with ' jellyfish' backbones and without the courage to stand up to what they say," said Mr Holland. A little clique of disloyalists was inciting the people to defy the Government which had given them a great deal. The Government would get nowhere in the country unless it said that the law must be obeyed, irrespective of creed or party. The Government should take the matter of defiance more seriously. A total of 350 strikes had occurred in New Zealand since Labour became the Government. Of this number 120 had occurred since the war began. Was it not time that the Government took charge of affairs? Until the Government recognised that it should have strength and dropped appeasement at any price it would get nowhere.