LOCAL ELECTIONS BILL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 67, 26 April 1944, Page 6

LOCAL ELECTIONS BILL

FARMERS' UNION'S VIEWS

EVIDENCE BEFORE. COMMITTEE

A report by Mr A. C. A. Sexton regarding the evidence in respect to the Local Elections and Polls Amendment Billj given by the Local Bills Committee of the House of "Representatives, was presented to the. Auckland Provincial Executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union at its meeting on April 19, and Mr Sexton and Hallyburton Johnstone (Chairman of the Waikato Sub-Pro-vincial Executive) gave evidence before the committee. Mr Sexton stated: "It Avas obvious that the eminent party had made up its mind to hammer the bill through, in spite of everything, and Ave had considerable difficulty in CA 7 en being heard by the. committee. The Chairman of the Committee Avas fair towards us, but the hostility Avas veiry marked,cularly from the doctrinaire members of the Labour Party." Speaking of. the protest against the bill being rushed through Parliament Avithout adequate notice Mr Sexton sa'id: "Until the Union's adA r ertiscments were put in the newspapers. only a minute fraction of the people understood that the Maoris, Avho Avere non-ratepayers, were being given a vote along Avith all Pakehas. I found on moving around Wellington that of scA'eral heads of departments and senior officers, Avith whom I came in contact, not one of them understood that the bill Avoukl g'rve the Maoris a Aote, and they Avere amazed to find that this was intended. This feature of. the bill, of course, Avas avcll enough knoAvn by Parliament. My contention was that if the old maxim of no , taxation Avithout representation Avas right there was a necessary corollary of no representation Avithout taxation. I obtained figures wliicli I gave to Mr Robinson (Provincial Secretary) showing the respective; Maori and European populations in various counties and which further showed that in some of the counties At least, tlic Maori vote would swamp the European vote. I gave figures from the. Year Book and from the Local Authorities Handbook showing that the overwhelming proportion of moneys -collected by the counties by way of rates was spent on roads and bridges. Roads and bridges in the country districts arc truly instx-uments. of production, and arc in an entirely different class from the amenities which are; proAdded out of rates in urban areas. There can therefore be 110 justification for giving non-ratepayers any say in the control of instruments of production. Farmers ■cannot pass on increased rates as can be done in the cities. "t finally made a A-ery strong point of the folly of creating further dissension in the country at this time. I enlarged upon the feeling of dissatisfaction and disgust of farmers with the treatment that they Avere receiving and emphasised that Avliether uniA'ersal franchise AA'as .right or Avrong it Avas most umvisc to bring forAvard a political issue of that de-> scription when Ave were in the middle of. a great war and which Avould only add further to .the resentment very definite and active steps Avill have, to be taken in regard to the, Avhole rating system and the Union Avill have to give its careful attention to the question of the best course to adopt." Mr H. Johnstone (Waikato) endorsed Mr Sexton's remarks and assured the Executive that everything possible had been done to place the A r iews of the Union before the committee. 1 The Fairburn-Kaia'k'a branch (Bay of Islands) asked that folloAving the extension of the local bodies franchise the utmost effort, be made to secure the de-rating of farm lands. The remit, which was moA'ed by Mr J. W. Jones and seconded by Mr S. DaA'idson, Avas adopted.