MR HOLLAND’S TOUR

Hokitika Guardian, 16 May 1931, Page 5

MR HOLLAND’S TOUR

TIMARU ADDRESS. (By Telegraph —Per Press Association) TIMARU, May 15. Tlie Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party. Mr H. E. Holland, delivered an address here to-night before an audience estimated at between Severn and eight hundred people. He was accorded a good bearing throughout the two and a-lialf hours of his address. His speech was mainly on the lines of that delivered last night at Dunedin, with the exception that ht dealt with the wheat question. In connection with the wheat qeustion, Mr Holland said that he had observed that Mr Forbes and Mr Coates had been making statements in support of New Zealand industries. Wheat, be considered, was a most important industry, but it seemed to him that the present Government did not worry. He (the speaker) was not saying anything about reducing the duty on wheat, but if the wheat duty was to be reduced, then it should be accompanied by something which would saleguard the position of the wheat producer. He thought that what was wanted was a systematised arrangement between the Government and the wheat farmers that would provide for the putting of a certain area under cultivation yearly. There should be n provision for a yearly carry-over, so that in the event of the crop being uf footed, there would he a sufficient supply. New Zealand must he self contained so far as its wheat supplies were concerned. The Labour Party would insist upon the interests of those engaged in the wheat industry being safeguarded.

The speaker referred to the number of people directly connected with the wheat industry, and said that the farmers should be able to secure an adequate return for their labours after providing proper working conditions for their workers on their farms. Not sufficient attention was being applied to flour milling in this country. There were forty-six mills in the Dominion, forty-one of which were in the combine of Distributors, Ltd. It had been stated that twelve of the mills could easily do all of the work that the forty-six mills were doing at the present time. The whole of the marketing of wheat was in the hands of one combine. The bakers, said Air Holland, were, to some extent, at the mercy of the combine, and he considered that there should be some means of affording the farmer a stabilised income.

Mr Holland was accorded a hearty vote of thanks at the end of his address.