CALL FOR GREATER OUTPUT

Southland Times, Issue 24422, 30 April 1941, Page 4

CALL FOR GREATER OUTPUT

MESSAGE FROM BRITISH WORKERS

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, April 29. A plea for an even greater output and better co-operation from the workers of New Zealand so as to help rapidly defeat the Nazi tyranny was made by Mr William Holmes, the representative of the British Trades Union Congress, in an address to the Hutt Valley railway workshop employees today. Mr Holmes said that everybody must remain democratic and loyally support the Government elected by the people, leaving petty grievances for settlement when the war was won. “London is not so bad as is thought,” said Mr Holmes, describing conditions in England. “We laugh at invasion be-

cause of the work of the men in the factories in the last eight months. The one thing which saved England in the May crisis was the repair and engineering shops. Now great factories were coming into operation—air factories and shipyards—that will build our materials superior to those of the enemy. The workers’ freedom is at stake. Tlie workers have saved England up till now; it is the workers’ war. Therefore, on behalf of the British Trades Union Congress I ask you workers to be with us till the end, to win liberty and then' with combined knowledge to see that there is no more war.” .The Minister of National Service, the

Hon. R. Semple, thanked Mr Holmes for his inspiring speech. The following motion was carried: “That this meeting of public servants engaged in the Hutt workshops, who are members of the trade union movement in New Zealand, thank Mr Holmes j for his inspiring message of goodwill j from British workmen. Ws ask him in J the name of trade unionists in this ; country to convey to the British work- I ers on his return fraternal greetings | and to express our united determination I to pull our weight and play our part I with the British workmen in their j titanic struggle for liberty. Their cause 1 is our cause; their fight is our fight;

their victory is our victory. We express our admiration for the courage and fortitude of the people of Britain, who through their grim determination and indescribable suffering are upholding democracy, which represents the rights of the people to be masters of their own destinies and captains of their own souls. They have won the admiration of the world. We are with them in every phase of the struggle. We pledge to them our loyalty, all the strength we possess, all the treasures at our command, in order that they, along with us, will come victoriously out of this titanic struggle which has been forced on us against our will.”