LABOUR'S AIM

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 79, 20 April 1937, Page 15

LABOUR'S AIM

Socialisation of Farming a Possibility PRESIDENT'S WARNING Reference to some remarks of the Prime Minister of vital concern to farmers was mad© in Wellington by the Dominion President of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, Ivlr W. W. Mulholland. "I listened to a wireless broadcast by Mr Savage from Auckland a short time age, ' ' said Mr Mulholland. "Per medium of a story of an interview with an. Australian. banking expert, Mr Savago told his audience that while the guaranteed price was not introduced for the purpose of implementing the Socialist aim of socialising the means of production, it wouW in due coiirse have that efiect, "My mind immediatfely reverted to a news item I had read a few days previously, reporting a conference in i connection with the movement to unite I all labour organisation, in which oue ot ! the three main objectives was — ' the socialisation of the common ownership, and control of the means and instru- ' ments of production, distribution and ■ exchange of wealth.* j "ThuS it can be seen if this 'unity i move' is successful the organisation ! will be so preponderatingly the control- . ling factor in the Labour movement ! and conjequently in the Government l party that its policy will without qucsj tion be the policy of that party.'* t Mr Mulhollnad pointed ^ct that ; every time Mr Savage $x>oke he told his i hearers that the Government had only made a start in the putting of its policy into operation, and that further legislation could be expected. Naturally tho farming comraunity were uueasy in fegard to what might be their lot under the further idevelipment of the socialis.1 policy. "It I am not wrong in conneeting the two items I have just quoted, it appears plain that the ultimate aim is to taka our land away from us/f he said. "Of course, aa a straight-out policy, this Would be unpopular and is not likely to be put into force in such a crude way, but we must not fdrget tliat land in itself is worthleas and only becomes valuable when labour and brains are applied to it. Even then it is only valuable ta the extent of its production and if you take the production under some form of control, 'Guaranteed Price' or whatever y6u like to call it there is no need to bother about actuSlly taking the land."The farmers in their own interests must watch every move of this kind 4nd aee to it that they are in a posltion to combat it. The Socialist have a^ very powerful and unified organisation and only something siniilar on ou,r part will, save the . situation. ihe present policy of piling cost upon cOst and further burdening the already ovoxburdened farmer can have but one end. If something "is not done the burdeii will be made heavier and heavier qntil the breaking point is reached and tho only solution will be the common ownership and control of production and marketing in which case the farmer will be reduced to the l9vel of a peasant and will be dependent upon the State for his very existence. "Farmers must act and act now and tell the Government with a united voice that they will have no moro of this policy of economic suieide. They must take a leaf out of the book of the Trades TJnionists and have a well-lcuit and larg'e organisation that can claim a hundred per cent. backing of the people on the land."