DOMINION CO OPERATION

Waikato Times, Volume 194, Issue 22248, 18 January 1944, Page 4

DOMINION CO OPERATION

CONFERENCE IN AUSTRALIA ADDRESSES BY DELEGATES (Received Jan. 18. 3.15 n.m.) CANBERRA. Jan. 18. If New Zealand and Australia attended the Imperial Conference and subsequent world councils with a common policy and spoke with one voice they would be heeded, declared Australia’s last war Prime Miniter, Mr W. M. Hughes, speaking at the Commonwealth Government luncheon to' the New Zealand Ministers. This, he added, would give every hope for the settlement of the problems of the Pacific. The United Kingdom High Commissioner in Australia, Sir Ronald Cross, said that while he could not say what the dictates of high strategy would be, he personally hoped this strategy might mean that important forces from the United Kingdom would join Australian and New Zealand forces fighting in the Pacific, thus further cementing the Imperial bonds between the three nations. Australia and New Zealand were “mates” in the real sense of the word, said Mr J. Curtin. The two countries were not seeking the millenium but were working as rapidly and energetically as possible toward social conditions which would bring the maximum of comfort and the minimum of hardship. Need For Understanding In matters of economics, trade and population it was absolutely imperative that the point of view of New Zealand and Australia shouud be clearly understood, said Mr Fraser, replying to the welcoming speeches. Australia was a wonderful country of untold resources and had played a part in the war which would stand to her eternal credit. The Commonwealth’s industrial expansion had consistently surprised New Zealand Ministers who had paid wartime visits to this country. “What you are asking Australians to do we are asking New Zealanders to do,” declared the Prime Minister. “They will be asked increasingly to share, what they have with the people of the United Kingdom.” The Hon. F. Jones thanked Australia for its great assistance to New Zealand Service personnel. Australia, he said, had given generously of her store of war equipment at a time when she herself was hard put to it. Criticising workers who absented themselves from their wartime duties, the Hon. P. C. Webb said he had been delighted at the way the New Zealand Federation of Labour had linked with the Government to further the prosecution of the war. Only two cases of industrial stoppages in New Zealand had lasted beyond ond* day. He was proud of the New Zealand coal miners, who in the year had held “only one or two little stop-work meetings.” Any worker holding up production was helping the enemy, he added.