SERVILE POLITICIANS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 153, 16 July 1937, Page 4

SERVILE POLITICIANS

-Frew Asioeistion.)

Country Labour M.P.'s Ruled By Unions MR. COBBE'S CHARGE

(By Telegraph-

PALMERSTON N., Last Night. - "One of the most regrettable fe*tures fn public life in New Zealand today is the fact that those Labour members who were returned for country electorates vote solidly to order, even when the measure before the House is one that is harmful to country interests, sajd the Hon. John G, Cobbe in an address to electors at Apiti last night. "They sit in silence, in most cases they won't even debate such Bills, but when the division bell rings they vote as they are told. "A notable instance of this eervile obedience to union dictates occurred in connection with the Prevention of Profiteering Rili. Clause 4 of this measure provides for fines up to £200 in the case of an individual ana £1000 in the case of a company for selling or ofl'ering for sale any goods at a price which a magistrate decides is an unreasonable advance, on the basic price; the basic price being the price current on June 1, 1936. "The wording of the Act qlearly includes farming produce, and may be held to apply in the case of the saie of live stock, or other produce, sold by a farmer to any person, or sold by a person employed by a farmer. "It was moved on behalf of the Opposition that the heavy penalties provided under section 4 of the Bill should not apply to the sale of priyiary products by primary producers. "Every Labour member present in ihe House, including those representiug country electorates, voted against our ameudment, wliich was desigued to protect the farmer who sells his own produce. "You can see plainly such members are not really country representatives, they are simply union delegatea, and vote as the city unions direct. "I know a number of farmers voted for those members. Are they going to do it again? If they do they deserve what they .are getting and what they are going to get. I don't beiieve those Waikato and North Auckland farmers who voted Labour at the last election realised that they were voting their own wives and children into the milking sheds. Are they going to vote at the next election to keep them there?"