POLITICAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2845, 12 February 1925, Page 2

POLITICAL.

LABOUR CANDIDATE AT RANGIOTU. Air Ben Roberts, who is the selected candidate for the Mariawatu seat, spoke to Hie dairy farmers at the above place last night. After reviewing the growing sentiment which, he contended, is taking place towards the Labour movement, in nearly every country in the world, he said the future was bright, lor Labour in New Zealand. The afterwar conditions and boom period had resulted in making the dairy fanners of this country slaves to the financial institutions and mortgagees, and it would indeed he a wise man who could see any financial hope lor Ihe working farmer under the present system. Ihe Lab our pf'ogrumme and policy was the only alternative in view; no other political parly had al tempted to provide a remedy, and the daily farmer;.’ trail • would not. brook delay. Land speculation wan a rinse lo the working farmers, and the only way to prosperity and relief wa to get down to productive, value:;, A prominent farmer in Hie Louth Island bad said that the. valuation of New Zealand was higher than the whole of Australia, and Australia, was 25 times as big as New Zealand —this entailed an interest hill, and a tax upon the energies of the producers and workers, which was staggering; on top of this the farmer had great difficulty in getting credit to carryon his operations, yet the whole fabric of the Dominion’s prosperity rested upon the land, labour and finance. The speaker told his audience that it was impossible at this period of the year for him to do more than pay a (lying visit, but later in Hie season it was his intention to speak to the dairy farmers about their own problems, ol which he bad had personal experience. Questions were asked and sa.lislactorily ariswered. Votes of thanks were accorded the speaker and chairman. Mr Roberts speaks in the ALisoiiic Hall. Foxlon, this evening