WAR EFFORT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24834, 6 February 1942, Page 4

WAR EFFORT

MR HOLLAND’S MEMORANDUM! PLANS FOR DISCUSSION (F.0.P.R.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 5. The arrangements for a discussion by the House of Representatives on a memorandum 'dealing with the country’s war effort, which had been submitted to him by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr S. G. Holland, were explained by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, in the House to-day. The debate on the document is to begin in secret on Tuesday, when copies of the memorandum and replies to the questions raised in it are to be circulated to members and recalled at the end of the sitting. Mr Fraser said it would be very obvious that the memorandum could not be discussed in its entirety with the House on the air or in open session. With the House off the air, there were matters in the memorandum that could be discussed with the galleries open but with supervision as to the reports that would appear. Others, such as those dealing with industry, the 40-hour week, and stoppages of work, could be discussed with the House on the air. Mr J. A. Lee (Democratic Labour, Grey Lynn): There are three classes. Mr Fraser: Yes. Mr Fraser said that after a secret discussion on all matters. contained in the document members would then be able 4o determine if it were advisable to discuss other parts of the memorandum off the air, and also whether there should be a discussion in open session on matters that concerned the internal administration of the Government, though no doubt these might affectxthe war effort. Incidentally, if the House agreed to this course it would ensure the fullest discussion on the memorandum.

The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Fraser said, had distributed copies of the memorandum in good faith to members of his party. Mr Fraser, said there could be no objection to that, but on further consideration he felt that some matters in the memorandum would help the enemy, and the Leader of the Opposition had called them in for the time being. If the discussion were not finished on Tuesday it could be continued-next day. After thinking the matter over the suggestion he had made seemed to him the most satisfactory way of dealing with the document to which importance must be attached. ‘