COUNTRY AND TOWN.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 August 1931, Page 5

COUNTRY AND TOWN.

(To the Editor). Sir.—lt appears from a statement made by the Hon. A. H. McLeod at a meeting of farmers in the Wairarapa | district the other day that lie looks with suspicion upon both “fusion” and “coalition” in their relation to politics. He knew many people, particuI larly in the cities, so he told his audience, who honestly favour fusion, but he had no hesitation in saying these ' folk have not the remotest knowledge of the political psychology of the farm- < qrs. There are many among.us, it I; must be contested, who are not fam- n iliar with the psychology of the fanners, political or otherwise, and we should be pleased to have Mr McLeod’s enlightennfeht upon so interesting a subject. Meanwhile Mr McLeod has let us know that fusion and coalition are entirely different matters,” fusion being a permanent amalgamation, while coalition is but a temporary expedient such as the one which exist, ed between the Reform; Government and the Liberal Opposition during the Great War. - 1

“In Australia, following the termination of the war,” Mr McLeod emphasises, “in both the Commonwealth and the States, war-time Coalition Governments carried on as fused Governments, In every instance this was immediately followed by the growth and formation oi the Country Party and the placing of Labour in office at a more or less early date. The plain truth is that in New Zeal and > no more than in Australia:, do farmers accept city motives as being altruistic.” Mr McLeod already has -been corrected in his wild assertion concerning the appearance of Labour in. office in Australia. Labour’s attainment of office in the Commonwealth had nothing whatever to do with either fusion or coalition, and it is little short of an outrage to imply, with a sneer, that the farmers as a • body in . this country do not “taccept city motives as being altruistic.” For. fifty years- or thereabout the urban and suburban electors have conceded an. advantage of 28.'per cent' to rural electors in parliamentary representation, to.Jsay. nothing of other , advantages that have been readily conceded to farmers by the State. And yet Mr -McLeod thinks the time opportune to , cast doubts upon the sincerity of the fanners’ best friends! Surely this is not the kind of electioneering that will furnish the Dominion with a Parliament capable of speedily extricating it from the difficulties by which it is beset. v .] I am, ‘ HOPEFUL. Wellington, August 13th. ’ •