CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE

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

CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE

“ Now Then ” offers a suggestion for I overcoming the shortage of labour on farms. What about giving an honest-to-God job for a few weeks to the men in the radio stations who are daily advertising perfumes, stomach powders, etc., in a blatant voice, and also the-single policemen who work overtime on the door handles at night? Women could do the work of announcing, and the returned soldiers could look after the shop door handles. “ Anti-Jingo ” alleges that the Leader of the Opposition and his party, instead of giving their “all” in the service of the country, are giving nothing, and doing little, but are taking their profits as usual, with the difference that, because of greatly-increased turnover, the profits are bigger than ever. The catch-cry at all by-elections is a proposed form of so-called National Government, which Labour rightly rejected. Anti-Labour organisations and individuals at election after election have used every effort to keep Labour out of office, and it is nothing but the rankest political humbug for them to-day to say they desire to assist Labour to govern the country. We shall justify ourselves only if we do not allow Fascism or Fascist methods to become the policy of our beautiful Dominion. Fascism and Nazism mean but the dictatorship of the capitalist, big business, and vested interest. In the circumstances it will be necessary for the working people not only to reject all overtures from the Opposition, but to rally around their present Government, their trade unions, party branches, and other organisations to make them strong in order that they may resist to the utmost the dangerous Power now threatening the people of the Pacific. The people have no time to waste on Mr Holland or his crew at the present time. “ N.Z.” expresses surprise that Mr Nash should, upon his arrival in the United States, assert that New Zealand people were not worried about the danger of an attack by Japan on this country, while Mr Semple is travel-

ling from -end to end of the islands painting a very black picture of the situation. “N.Z.” does not think that the members of Mr Nash’s party are more concerned with the possibility of an invasion than they are to make matters easy for those to whom they have to look for support at election time. It is high time the people of this Dominion realised the fact that the situation calls for a better example from those in charge of affairs and that the mere lifting of hats and the utterance of soft words to a selected few are not a war effort. “Bona Fide” expresses surprise that there has been no public mention .of the death of the Loch Ness monster, which, he says, was reported in a short-wave London newsreel. The particulars as announced were that a huge marine specimen was washed up dead oil the shore of Loch Ness, not far from a little village. It was 27ft long, had two flappers like hands which were 3ft long, and its eyes were Sin in diameter. The body is to be stuffed and exhibited in the Natural History Museum in London.

rtt Lead-swinger ” suggests that •as membership of the E.P.S. is now compulsory, the age limit should not be higher than 55 years. Many people think that 50 years would be nearer the mark. To ask a man over 55 ,to drill or do other work after his day’s work, or on Sundays, is ,to ask too much.