THE COUNTRY PARTY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4784, 3 December 1924, Page 2

THE COUNTRY PARTY.

ADDRESS at NGATEA. 1 LEADER TO STAND FOR THAMES. The policy p£ the new party which proposes to enter politics under the istyle of the Country Party was explained to a meeting of Hauraki Plains settlers at Ngatea on Tuesday (•veiling by the party leaders, Messrs A. A. Ross, W. S. Goosman, W. H. Allen, C. C. Munro, and G. Campbell. The attendance was fair, and the meeting was presided over by Mr A. Cleaver. Mr Ross said that an address had been given in Ngatea prior to the last election, but it had been found that the time was not ripe to launch the party. Since then a large amount of organisation had been done, and it had been found that now the time was more opportune. It was proposed to seek candidates and generally advocate the cause. It was high time that farmers took a more lively inter 1 est in their own affairs. The members of the Party, said Mr Ross, would not be bound to support any of the existing Parties in a no-confidence motion. They would be entirely independent, and would welcome members of the existing parties. Each question would be considered as it affected the. primary producers. AGRICULTURAL BANKS. It was alleged that the country was in a very prosperous position, said the speaker, but this was not so. One of the greatest burdens on farmers at the present time was the mortgage system. At the present time there was 160 million pounds lent to farmers on registered mortgages. Unregistereo mortgages brought the total up to about 250 million pounds. About one-third of the registered mortgages had to be renewed every year at a cost of about two per cent. Thus about a million pounds had to oe paid for no purpose. Ample security for mortgage was available, yet farmers had to pay a high rate of interest. In Denmark, said Mr Ross, the rate of interest, and sinking fund on farm mortgages was not more than 4 )9er cent., so in 30 or 40 years the sum was paid off. This was not so in New Zealand. It had' been found in other countries that agricultural banks could make sufficient profit out of their ordinary banking business tc enable them to lend money at up to 4 or 5 pei cent. —at the same rate as it was borrowed. This was not mere theory, and a failure of-such a bank had never occurred. The ordinary banks preferred to finance the city men, and discouraged rural investments. The agricultural bank would borrow where it could and lend to farmers. Mr Ross then explained the operations of the existing banking institutions and mentioned the difficult flgh: that would have to be made to overcome the hold of these banks and establish the agricultural bank. The speaker then dealt with insurance, which was bound up with banking. A farmers’ insurance institution, he said, required an agricultural bank to take up its rural mortgages. OTHER BURDENS. Another burden which ultimately had to be borne by the primary producers was the protective duties granted to certain industries, continued Mr Ross. It was the policy of the party to impose a time limit on protected industries because unless any industry could stand on its own bottom after, say, ten years it would always be a burden. Year after year the amount of public indebtedness was increasing continued Mr Ross, and it was only the favourable seasons and high prices that prevented the burden from becoming oppressive. Thus it was time the farmers took a hand and stemmed the tide, so that when conditions were not so favourable the burden would not break them. Much .had been said about the Country Party splitting the votes and permitting Labour to get into the House, said Mr Ross. The Party would certainly not do this, but would obviate Laborites securing country seats. Mr Munro was .the next speaker. He said the cause that had brought about the formation of the Party that there was a. country-wide desire for such a party. Farmers were waking up and realising that something was necessary. Much had been said about the present prosperity of the country, yet despite this men were walking off their land in every district. The causes were the amount of leakages in the return obtained for primary products, labour costs, interest, land and income taxes, rates, foreign exchanges, and legal costs. No matter who paid in the first place, the burden was passed on to the primary producers. The Farmers’ Union had been active about these questions but could not move Parliament, so it had become necessary Co put in a Farmers’ Party If the object succeeded, and it would succeed if farmers would unite and stand for their own rights, they would become a power in the land. At the preisent time there was no solid country vote unless it'was for the Reform Party, which stood for the city interests.; Labour supporters realised this and had returned increasing numbers to their party. It was now necessary for farmers to support their own Party, to vote for the Party’s candidates, and stir up enthusiasm in the cause. The Prime Minister had on one occasion said that “he- did not care a damn for the farmers’ votes. He had them in his pocket.” There was a very solid movement Hi the cities to break up any country party movement, said Mr Munro, and also the farmers’ co-operative companies. and it was up to the primary producers to unite to oppose that movement. QUESTIONS. In reply to Mr W. G. Hayward Mr Ross said that the movement was only being actively supported in the Auckland province, but that was not to say .that the other provinces were against the proposal. Most of the other provinces were watching th©

activities in this province very closely, and would doubtlessly follow quickly as soon as a footing had been obtained. In regard to the question an to whether the time was opportune, it was evident that there would be a big reshuffling at the next general election, as there was no doubt that it was only the Prime Minister that was holding the Reform Party together Mr Munro said that the Dominion Conference of the Farmers’ Union had not actively supported the proposal because the majority of the delegates supported their 01/l party and desired it to retain or assume power. Mr Ross said the considered opinion arrived at was that it was of no use working to support any of the existing parties, as supporters of the other parties would automatically be opposed to it. It was necessary to launca an independent party that could be supported by all primary producers. The Country Party might only gain a few seats to start with, but there was no doubt that its wishes would be considered jupt as the desires of the present Labour party were given consideration. Replying to Mr Hayward, Mr Ross said that practically all the country branches in the Auckland province had expressed an opinion favourable to the movement- Only two votes had been recorded against it it a recent Farmers’ Union conference. The movement was not a Farmers’ Union project entirely, although it was fathered by the Auckland executive. The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the speakers for attending and addressing the meeting, the vote being carried by acclamation. Mecsrs Ross and Munro returned thanks and invited all supporters of the movement to remain behind for a further meeting to consider appointing a candidate to contest the Thames electorate and also to appoint committees to further the candidates election campaign. All present remained behind, and it was decided that the Thames electorate be contested in the interests of the Country Party, its leader, Mr A. A Ross, of Clevedon, being chosen as the candidate. A strong committee was set Up to further Mr Ross’s candidature.