A PLAIN POLITICAL FRAUD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2708, 15 March 1924, Page 4

A PLAIN POLITICAL FRAUD.

HOW THE FAR-MERS ARE BEING I DECEIVED. « (Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare ] League). We make no apology for cliarac- ' tensing the campaign of the Labour Socialist M.’sP., of this country as plain political frauds. When a party sets out deliberately not to explain its own platform, but lo lead the people to believe that its aims are something other than they truly are, then it is justifiable to name such party as dangerous. For sometime past these men, most of them from industrial centres and having no practical knowledge of farming, have been touring the country districts and soliciting the farmers’ support on a lale which they tell. They are promising the farmers that if their party is only returned to power they will see that the farmers have lower rates of interest to pay, better roads, better markets, more direct benefit from the working of their farms and generally better conditions of living all round. It is Ihe usual pap of the political opportunist who will promise anything to gain support and the men on the land should be expected to discount such plausible talk. However, human nature is weak and we are all prone to listen to the artful dodgers who make elaborate promises. Farmers have their (rials and some have hard conditions to hear so that they may easily be taken with those who tell them that relief can he given easily. Where the political fraud comes in is that what the Labour Party members are presenting to the farmers is not what is published in I lie N.Z. Labour Party’s Official Platform. We have read the speeches of these socialist M.’sP. delivered in Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, Canterbury and elsewhere; in these speeches to farmers they leave out. all reference to the socialistic proposals relating to land contained in their party’s platform or substitute words to give another meaning than the planks clearly indicate. PARTY’S LAND POLICY. Here are the clauses which plainly show their socialist aims: — (a) A State valuation of all privately owned land, such valuation to remain on record as the measure of present-land holder’s interest in land. (b) That privately-owned land shall not be sold or transferred except to the State. (c) The owner shall have the right to surrender his land on the valuation set out in sub-division (a) (d) Establishment of State farms for the purpose of producing the people’s foodstuffs. There can be no doubt that what is here proposed is that the farms which now produce the people’s foodstuffs shall be made Stale concerns. That is never told to the farmers by Mr Holland or the other Labour M.’sP. D<> the fanners who may be inclined to vote Labour want their farms taken over by the State? Does the farmer wish to lie deprived of his legal right to sell or transfer his property or leave it to his children? Then look at sub-clause (c) “The owner shall have the right to surrender his land, et< —At the State’s valuation —Is there a single farmer in New Zealand who wishes to be placed in the position that he can only surrender his land at whatever the Government cares to give him? Those are the time aims of the Labour Party we quote —it cannot be denied. As we said before this is not the story being told to the farmers and it is nearly time that the men on the land woke up to the fact that they are being played with and deceived. The game being played is not only politically fraudulent but is an insult. In the speeches delivered references are made to Sir George Grey, Ballance and Seddon : to t|uestions of banking and State advances; all is being done to cover the real socialist aims of this party. If is a political trick we are fully justified in exposing.