THE IDLE RICH.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 7921, 21 August 1917, Page 3

THE IDLE RICH.

INDUSTRIAL COMPULSION. "I want to know which of these t*o statements represents the official f i« of the National Government; •ad, if Labor is to be conscripted, will the Government first conscript the land and the material instruments °* production, or is it intended to conscript Lnbor to be used to help to Parn war profits for private individuals?” Such was a question asked, without notice, of the Prime Minister in Parliament by Mr J. McCombs, Labor Member for Lyttelton. The Hon. G. ”■ Russell, he stated, was reported as having said that, while it was important to maintain reinforcements, it was “equally important to maintain f°"d supplies for the Mother Country her armies. To do this it may, an d will, Ik* necessary to take power lo conscript labor not medically fit military’ service, each man and lonian being .allotted that service he or she is best able to perform in order to help the great cause. Neither age nor sex can count in the ultimate resource with which we as a nation may yet he faced. ‘Every New Zealander 1° his or her job' must be the slogan 'J? if the war is to be .won.” While ’ lr Francis Bell, on the other hand, nad said, “I do not think labor will stand being requisitioned." The Prime Minister replied that, *nile he hoped that the time would n °t come when they would have to conscript labor in the way suggested, no thought it might be necessary to iscourage idleness throughout the °minion, and make every man in the country do something for the benefit community and to help them " cope industrially with the present crisis. (Hear, hear). .McCombs: ‘‘Conscript the idle ctl - ’ (Hear, hear, and laughter).