SABOTAGE CANARD

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20116, 9 December 1939, Page 10

SABOTAGE CANARD

RADIO DIRECTOR N.Z, FARMERS’ UNION PRESIDENT PROTESTS APPEAL TO CABINET “UNTRUE STATEMENTS’ ’ (Tor Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. Strong exception to the action of Mr. C. G. Scrimgeour. the controller ol' commercial broadcasting, in quoting statements from the Standard, official organ of the Labour Party, alleging that the Dominion conference of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union .had discussed detailed plans for sabotaging production lias been taken by Mr. "W. W. Mulholland, the Dominion president of the union, in a letter to the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage.

Mr. Mulholland has asked that the

Government dissociate itself from this action and from the “untrue statements" and that .Mr. Scrimgeour be instructed to make a complete retraction without Cur 1 her comment of these statements and inferences in a broadcast next Sunday. 'The text of the letter addressed to the Prime Minister ibv Mr. iMulholfend, dated December C, at Wellington. is as follows: — > “On Sunday last, Mr. C. G. (Sicr.imgeour, 'controller of commercial broadcasting, read from the Standard, the official organ of the Labour P'arty, the following statements: —‘At the recent Dominion conference of the !N.Z. Farmers’ Union detailed plans for sabotaging the production of the Dominion were 'discussed in committee for two days and were defeated by a 'small majority only. Here are the plans which were submitted to the ’conference: “‘That the farmers do not iP'U’l 'the ibulls with the cows or the ram's with the owes; that they turn the cream down the drains; that they retrain from going out for at least a fortnight; that they use transport 'as little as possible and not pay if'or it; that they buy as little stores as possible and not pay the storekeeper; that they use no subsidised labour and refuse to co-operate with the 'Government in any why that they boycott the centennial; that, they picket the d'airy factories and the petrol distributing stations. The headquarters of the Farmers’ Union ■while issuing apparently friendly pronouncements has stirred up and is keeping 'alive a spirit of strong opposition.’ “Strong- Exception” “I did not consider it necessary to take any notice of the Standard’s article, fout 'I must fake strong exception to the official head of a Government department repeating these incorrect and (misleading statements over the air in a Dominion-wide hookup through a State utility which is the direct responsibility of a Minister,” continues IMr. (Mulholland’s letter. “The Dominion conference referred to in the article, a copy of which is enclosed herewith, took place in July, ■long before war appeared to he imminent, (but this fact was suppressed and the inference deliberately given was that the conference h'ad occurred since war broke out. “As chairman of the conference in question, I can inform y.ou that no resolution embodying the ‘detailed plhns’ referred to in the article was discussed by the conference. Yet this alleged action of the union was described as ‘sabotage’ of the Government’s war effort although the controller of commercial broadcasting must have known that the conference took place in July. Authority Suggested “This statement by the head of a State department and the circumstances 'surrounding its making, suggests io the public of -New Zealand that it was made with the authority and approval of the Government. “On behalf cf the (New Zealand Farmers’ Union I formally ask you definitely to dissociate your Government from this action and these Untrue statements. J further ask you to instruct the officer concerned to retract completely, without further comment, the statements and inferences complained of, and to make that retraction 'with an appropriate apology next {Sunday evening at the same hour and over the same stations as last week, and, finally, 1 ask that you cause the controller to cease such unseemly conduct as he indulged in last (Sunday evening, ‘for such action is either deliberate or reckless goading! of the mlore restive /elements among those httacked."