APPEAL FOR UNITY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 December 1940, Page 4

APPEAL FOR UNITY

IN SUPPORT OF WAR EFFORT PRIME MINISTER TOURS WEST COAST. LAWS TO BE ENFORCED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) GREYMOUTH, December 22. Opening a tour of New Zealand which he will continue as opportunity offers during the Parliamentary recess, the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, accompanied by the Minister of Labour, Mr Webb, visited Greymouth, Runanga and Hokitika during the weekend, being accorded an enthusiastic public reception in each centre. ... Mr Fraser was also the principal speaker at a banquet in honour of the 21st anniversary of the “Grey River Argus” as a Labour daily. Discussing the national war effort Mr Fraser appealed for the fullest co-operation of every section of. tne community, urging that political differences must be put in the background and the whole energies of the nation united, for the purpose of winning the war, on which the whole balance of future civilisation rested. There must be discipline in Nev; Zealand if it were to prosper, not the discipline of guns or the lash as in Germany, but selfcomposed, intelligent discipline. The —. laws of the land had to be observed by , everyone, and those elected to govern were not going to allow others to kick them round like a football. The Government that was not prepared to enforce the laws of the land was not fit to govern. “We don't want to have to enforce the laws against any section, but we want your co-operation in response to our appeal. If we cannot have that, the alternative is anarchy, which brought Mussolini into power in Italy. Every sten we have taken has been decided after the fullest consideration of the best interests of the people. We are not going to allow any section deliberately to refuse to obey laws made for the benefit of all. If the trade unions or sections of them or any other organisation want to defy the Government, it is going to be unfortunate for them. We are determined, that all sections, must obey the laws and disobedience will be treated as refusal to co-operate in the war effort.” ‘ . Messrs Fraser and Webb left by plane from Hokitika this afternoon to return direct to Wellington.