FARMERS' POLITICS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 75, 15 April 1937, Page 6

FARMERS' POLITICS

-Prees Agaoeiatlen.)

"Growing Opposition to Labour Policy" MR. HARGEST'S VIEW

tBy

Telegraph-

AUCKLAND, Last Nigit. What he described as the .undoubted revulsion of feeling stirring the farmers of the Dominion was again discussed by (Mr. J. HaTgest, M.P. for Awarua, in an address at Howick to-night. He answered the reply that was made to his earlier references to the subject by Hon. •P. Fraser, Acting Prime Minister. Mr. Hargest said he had noticed his .remarks broughf a reply from Mr, Fraser, who had referred to the speak;er's "strong inventive imagination^ because all evidence was to the eontraryl" Mr. Hargest repeated the statement that in every country district there was ample evidence of a strong and growing opposition to Labour 's treatment of the farmer, the diffieulty experiencea in obtaining labour and the steep rise in farming costs, which could not be passed on, being contributing factors. '"The Acting Prime Minister, with an excellent intelligence service at his coininand, knows this and is whistling to keep his ' courage up, ' * Mr. Hargest declared. " Mr. Hargest invited the Minisiter to offer to the sheep farmers a suggestion that they should go under a commandeer of meat and wool based on the prices of the last eight or ten years. He would be startled by the response. "We are quite happy to stand by •our method of formulating ' a policy which does not consist of principles as Mr. Fraser suggested, ' ' Mr. Hargest added. "It. is a inuch sounder method than being ddetated to by trade unions as is obviously the case now." __