EFFORT DURING WAR

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20099, 20 November 1939, Page 5

EFFORT DURING WAR

FARMERS’ ASSURANCE FIGHT AFTER PEACE OPPOSING SOCIALISATION “While war continues, I, and those for whom I speak, are willing to work from daylight to dark, (50 or even 80 hours a week, to maintain production at its highest possible peak. But once peace is concluded we will fight tooth and nail to the bitter end to prevent the nationalisation and socialisation of our properties.” Mr. T. D. Burnett, M.P., expressed himself in these terms to a Christchurch interviewer. "Our colours are nailed to the mast, right to the top of the pole,” he said. Fie explained that he was expressing the views of a group of run-holders in the Mackenzie Country, who were almost a co-opera-tive community. "I want to make it clear what a typical group of high-country farmers think of the matter,” lie added. “While the war is on we are only too willing, in fact, delighted, to bend all our efforts to increasing production in the country’s interests, but we stand foursquare against the socialisation of our produce. I am sure that these are the views of 90 per cent of the men on the land in New Zealand. “When the war is over I am making this a rallying point for every man on the land. Why should a man who was a book agent a few years ago, the Hon. Walter Nash, have full control of the primary produce of the Dominion? He was not appointed to that position by the producers. It was only a political accident that he assumed control.” The question of nationalisation of production and farm lands should be decided by a vote of the -producers themselves.

“Directly peace is restored, 1, and those for whom I speak will assume complete control of the sale and disposal of our primary produce,” Mr. Burnett concluded.