Federated Farmers Oppose Land Seizures

Chronicle (Levin), 13 May 1948, Page 3

Federated Farmers Oppose Land Seizures

- 1 f • . * * *. J " " .-iG' A "resolution ■ empiiatically'^ repugtat.ing a suggestion contaiiied. in a ^tatement by the Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Cullen) at Dunedin receatly that Federated Farmers had agreed to the coinpulsory acquisition by the State of laud not in full production, was unanimously earried at the annual conferenee.of.the Manawatu Provinci'al Federated Farmers in Palmerston North yesterday. * ' It was explained by the president, Mr. H. J. McLeavey (Ohau), that the Minister had received his information, from a meeting of the provincial presidents held im Wellington. On that occasion he himself had strongly opposed any suggestion of the compulsory acquisition of land and had recorded his vote against it because he considered it dangerous to toy with any departure from security of land tenure which he understood to be the banner under whieh Federated Farmers marched. ' ' There should be no need for the Minister to take any land by compulsion, " stated Mr. McLeavey. "There should be enough coming on to the marlcet in the normal way if only peo]ple had the incentive to sell. As it .is we have the speetacle of •' old people clinging- to their. land' because they cannot affoi'd' tO sell. A fafmer selling' up. needs £15,000 to be on equal _ footing with people under , Soeial Security. Our orgunisatidu sliould be'tlie last in 'New Zealand to agfee to the Aompulsbry talcing of land." * ' . Mr. W. J. Galloway (Otaki-Te Horo) said he liad b'een astounded to read the Minister rs cqmnient in the newspaper. If Federated Farmers had agreed to the compulsory acquisition of land it struek at the very foundations of t^e organisation. To his knowledge the matter had never been referred to branches and he thought Manawatu should demand to kuow on what authority the meeting of provincial presidents had iriven such an assurauce to the Minis-

ter. The confereuce decided to make further inquiries from headquarters regarding the presidents' meeting, and passed a resolution repudiating the suggestion that Federated Farmers agreed to the compulsory {acquisition of lapd. ,-i" Questionnaif e to rY.F.C. '^1 * Another 'aspect, of . land ( ;a'c'qiixsition( c.ame before The 'cqnferbHfe . whCTi Mr.' Galloway | j'e'ffei'fed' 'to & hfrciila?1^' sent undef priva'te * hhd," colihjieh'tidl ^eals ' '■ to youhg farmers' clif6'ft a qhestionnaire to be filled in 'at meet-' ings .(not to'be ' discusbed cveii ' ivitk members ' parents)', This "questionnaire, he clainied,, soughf the .views of iiiPmbers .oi young farmers' . c)ubs' on *t'he« qucstion, of nationalisaUon of. fanclt ' Mr. c! Webb. (Ley'in), a ' delqgatet from .Federalpd Farmers to the Horo-' whenua Y,F-C.'s, said he had attended meetings wliere these .forips. B.ad beeir filled in, H,e' did.not tKink there was any- sinister or ulterioiy motivs.helxind the questionnaire. .Ife there was sQnie misco.hcep'tioh'ah . "ihembers'' lninds 'about it. . The only secrecy was that the boys were asked to slja^e how much finance they were likely t"o" have at the end of a given time,' and the natural reticence of some was being protec-ted. He thought the Government

was seeking to discover how much land would be required for the settlement of young farmers wlien the rehabilitation of ex-servicexneu 011 the laud had been completed, and how finance was likely to' be required. "The pattern is becoming increasingly clear," declared Mr. V. J. Cottle (Otaki-Te Horo). '-"The Y.F.G.'s are b,ecoming politically inliuenced. Tt 'was the yecond questionnaire to be sent out vsflthin two years. From the lirst 'only 1|)00 replies had been received.' -* This thne they wanted all the f'orms re: tprned. • ,!"If' the ' Minister gets 30,000 forms maced in his hands asking for the closer settlement of land, we will get what the meeting iias just protested a'gainst — the compulsory acquisition of land," he stated. " Mr. Webb said if it was thought desirable to have young men now workiiig on the land eventuallyt settled on the land the information bbing sought \vould be necessary. He had found no t|jaces of political influence ,011 the ypung farmers ' clubs with w'hxch he Ixad^bejeHkssqciatedj .. : . ' Mr. J . Linklater, delegate to the Manawatu Y.F.C. 's, said he had not yet seen a copy of the questionnaire, but would 'obtain oue and inveatigate the position.

Federation's Land Policy. The confereuce adopted the reeonxnxexxdations of the "Land Policy Committee" that any policy of Federated Farmers on this question should be liniited to' the following principles: — (a) There should be security of land tenure. • (b) There should always be the right of freelxold. (c) The Fedei'ation supports the facilitating of land settlement to suitable men and the fullest use of unoccuiiied land for both Maori and pakeha. (d) There should ahvays be a right of appeal to a ►Supremc Court Judge against all land valuations. (e) The Federation should support a progressive policy of affo'restatiou. (f) The Federation should opposo auy for-nx of -compulsory acquisition of land.. (g) The Crown should consult the Federation on all propbsed legislation afi'ecting farrn lands.