Minister Hits Out At Country Party

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 450, 4 September 1928, Page 1

Minister Hits Out At Country Party

OR. McLEOD SPEAKS OUT FARMERS assist labour (from Our Own Correspondent.) WAITOA, To-day. In an attack on the Country Party last evening, the Hon. A. D, McLeod, Minister of Lands, alleged that paid servants of the Farmers’ Union were organising in favour of the Labour Party. He said that in electorates where Country Party candidates were prominent, they would have a free run so faa as official Labour was concerned. He also criticised the actions of Mr. Poison, president of the Farmers’ Union. Mr. McLeod gave his speech at the Waitoa Hall last evening, before a large audience. The policy of the Country Party was dissected and an-

alysed by him there, because the district is considered to be the stronghold of the Country Party. In opening, he said that the country political groups in Australia were being forced back into the parties from which they had

dissociated themselves, and the same process was apparent to-day in New Zealand. This was due principally to the actions of the president of the Farmers’ Union, who was allowing union organisation in certain districts to work against the Reform Party and its candidates. Mr. Poison stated publicly that he was against the union entering into party politics, yet recently he allowed his name to be associated with the selection of a Country Party candidate to oppose the sitting member for Rotorua, Mr. F. P. Hockly, who was a member of the union, and a practical worker on behalf of the farmers. Mr. McLeod went on to say that farmers had been advised to oppose the Government at the coming election, and even to support Labour candidates, especially when those candidates were members of the Farmers’ Union. Time would show that no Country Party candidates would be opposed in electorates represented by Labour, or having Labour candidates who were members of the union. The Minister said that no matter what party was in power, he believed it to be necessary for the Farmers’ Union to be In close touch with the Government. The Reform Government had asked repeatedly for an executive of the union to be appointed so that this could be done, but Mr. Poison had ignored such proposals. EMPIRE PREFERENCE ATTACKED In criticising the Country Party’s policy, he said its principal plank was British preference, with Empire free trade within 10 years. As an ideal, Empire free trade had its attractions, but it was only those who had given it slight study that were foolish enough to consider the possibility of bringing it into practical politics for many years. Many great men had fought for the ideal, and although progress had been made, there were still barriers almost insurmountable to all but a few wouldbe statesmen. British preference was considered to be the first step toward an Empire ideal, and the present Government had made the boldest step toward complete British preference yet attempted in New Zealand. British preference was one thing, and Empire preference another. He felt certain that the Dominion would not submit its workers to the competition of coloured labour in other Parts of the Empire. Similarly, the producers would not advocate free importations from other Dominions while they continued to raise tariff walls against exports. Since the war, particularly in foreign countries, there had been a tendency to trade more and more through monopolies and trusts, this . being most apparent in the United States, which in some cases was associated with Canada. This had been Particularly obvious with agricultural implements in the northern hemisphere. The Government, after careful consideration, decided that the only effective counter to s»uch a combination was to assist in the building UP of a local industry even in face of the heavy odds against it. “A TRICK SPEECH” COUNTRY PARTY TACTICS REPLY TO MR. McLEOD “A trick speech”:—Thus Mr. A. E. Robinson, organising secretary of the Country Party, this morning denounced the attack made on his party by the Hon. A. D. McLeod at Waitoa last evening. Mr. McLeod had held up certain actions of Mr. Poison, president of the Zealand Farmers* Union as arguQients against the Country Party, said Robinson. Mr. Poison was not a member of the Country Party, and at the last Farmers’ Union conference m Wellington had made it clear that “ e favoured the union maintaining a a on-poiitical policy. Again, it had been stated that the Country Party had an understanding wi th Labour in regard to certain electorates. This was not true. In the Tauranga electorate a Labour candidate had already been selected, but the Country Party members there last w eek had decided to ask Capt. Colbeck t° accept nomination in their interests. The Farmers’ Union, said Mr. Robwas not connected in any way

with the Country Party, nor were its funds being used to develop the party. The Country Party was supported by voluntary subscription and none of its officials were receiving remuneration for their services.