OUR CITIZEN DUTY

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 64, Issue 4562, 20 April 1942, Page 5

OUR CITIZEN DUTY

Sir, —“What New Zealand should have done is long overdue.” First: The New Zealand Government and the Opposition should form a National Government of a No Party nature, a Home man highly recommended to be invited to lead and govern the Nation, fiercely and wisely, say for the duration of the war, and twelve months after.

Second: That the forty hour week should be repealed for the duration of the war, and twelve months after; that N.Z. Trades’ Unions should be implored to save their honoured name from going down to history, with an everlasting stigma, and instead, uphold the Unions for their noble efforts to win the war. Third: That all needless works, manpower and expenditure, not helping to win the war should be immediately stopped, and all works and expenditure that can help to win the war, should be immediately put in force in New Zealand. Fourth: That all men and all women, no matter how old, should be invited to register, so long as they are able to stand up and use a rifle, or smaller fire-arms, or an axe to break open a burning building to save life, fight fire, attend to the sick and suffering, and perhaps the dying, that all should be invited immediately to register under emergency conditions. Fifth: In connection with all this work, it is to be hoped the Ministers in the City of Auckland and’ suburbs will put aside their black-cloth during the week days as an incentive to the citizens. Perhaps the Ministers could do something similar to “Nehemiah” and his people—work with one hand and have a weapon in the other if need be—and at the same time, perhaps the Ministers could persuade men and women to read the book of “Nehemiah.” No book in the Bible is more applicable than the book of “Nehemiah” to New Zealand to-day. There should be no holiday during the week under such conditions, only the Sabbath day, a day of rest and worship the Creator, the only respite during the twenty-four hours, is time to eat, time to sleep, enough to keep body and soul in good health.

Sixth: The Home Guard. There should be a strong company here and there throughout New Zealand of no less than a thousand in each company, which should be supplied and equipped. If benzine is not procurable, suitable horses should be supplied to the Home Guard. Another very important matter for general electors to consider is: That if the Japs come, what men are producing on farms and elsewhere, are in the Home Guard in order to defend New Zealand, and when the Japs land on New Zealand soil, the Home Guard will have to be put on permanent service, leaving the farms and many other works to be carried on more or less by women and old men.—l am, etc., “TE MAWHAI.”