MUCH ACCOMPLISHED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 October 1940, Page 8

MUCH ACCOMPLISHED

N WAR CABINET WORKING % WELL 4 “IN MOST CO-OPERATIVE SPIRIT.” PRIME MINISTER’S TRIBUTE g TO COLLEAGUES. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. “I say quite definitely that the War Cabinet Inis justified itself because it has done its work well,” said the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, when speaking in the debate on war finance. Mr Fraser was replying to Mr Polson (Opposition, Stratford), who had expressed amazement that the Opposition members of the War Cabinet had no say j in the methocis of raising money for war purposes. I “The War Cabinet is working well and in a most co-operative spirit,” Mr Fraser said. “I am grateful to the other members for the way in which the problems have been attacked. Much has been done, but there is a mighty amount to do yet.” Dealing with the question of the Government’s methods of raising money, the Prime Minister said it was. quite obvious that a party with a large majority in the House could not have decisions of that kind taken out of its hands. Neither would it be fair to the Opposition members of the War Cabinet to place on them the responsibility for raising money in a way with which they might not agree. “I want to make it clear that the Government stands for conscription of wealth as well as conscription of human beings,” said the Prime Minister. Members of the Opposition who had criticised the loan, Mr Fraser said, seemed to be anxious to pander to , people who wanted to dodge their fair ] share. ( CONSCRIPTION OF WEALTH. < There were some who. argued— ] though he did not agree with them — ( that sufficient men could be raised to ( fight overseas without conscription, ( the Prime Minister said, while mem- \ bers of the Opposition had contended ] that sufficient money could be found t for war purposes without compulsion, j The Government had not hesitated to r conscript men when it became necessary, and had made it clear at that J; time that it would not hesitate to con- \ script wealth. t Mr Doidge (Opposition, Tauranga): d “If it is to be the studied policy of the v Government to conscript wealth, what n will be the effect on the voluntary e patriotic effort?” j, “I don’t think it will be affected at V

all,” Mr Fraser said. “I don’t think there is any section of the people whose patriotism is patriotism of the pocket. The compulsory loan will not be resented by those who are willing to give anyway. Compulsion will be applied only to those who will not give.” Mr Doidge: “You would get all you want without conscription.” “We were pledged to conscription of wealth, as of men,” the Prime Minister continued, “and we could not stay in office another hour if we went back on that. Nothing matters except the successful carrying out of the war, for otherwise all is gone. Are we going to hesitate to use the financial resources of the country?” Mr Polson (Opposition, Stratford): “Well, since you conscript men in classes, why not conscript wealth the same way?” “That is exactly what has been done,” Mr Fraser concluded.