COUNTRY PARTY'S POSITION DEFINED

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 458, 13 September 1928, Page 12

COUNTRY PARTY'S POSITION DEFINED

REPLY TO HON. A. D McLEOD

(From Our Oxcix Correspondent) WAITOA, Wednesday. The Hon. A. D. McLeod's recent speech at Waltoa was replied to by supporters of the Country Party at a meeting held at Waitoa last evening.

The Minister was alleged to have reflected on the calibre of the Country Party candidates and at last night’s meeting Mr. Feisst said the Minister had evidently considered the candidates to be of a good enough type to warrant his coming to Waitoa and devoting an evening to an attack on the party.

Mr. Feisst accused the Reform Government of driving the country into the hands of Labour, and denied the allegation that the Country Party and the Labour Party had come to an arrangement regarding the contest of certain seats. It was only a coincidence that in some cases there was a Country Party candidate and no Labour candidate. He said also there would be a Country Party candidate at Tauranga before long. The Country Party policy contained national and liberal provisions and was not solely in the intqyests of farmers. “KILLING THE INDICTMENT”

“Mr. McLeod’s indictment can be killed with a few ugly facts,” said Mr. Colbeck, who also spoke. He said he was opposed to the Farmers’ Union taking part in politics because the union and politics were distinct, although farmers could enter politics. Though it was true that Mr. Poison was present at the Putaruru meeting at which Mr. Judd was selected for the Rotorua seat, he was there as an ordinary member of the union. It was also true that the publication paid for by members of the union advocated the aims of the Country Party, but the paper merely voiced the views of the Audlvland executive.

In reply to a question Mr. Feisst said the Country Party would give its allegiance to no party unless it worked in the direction of fulfilling the Country Party’s policy, which was the only one that provided the machinery all aimed at.

In reply to a further question Mr. Feisst said* he did not consider the country would be worse off under a Labour Government than under the present administration. A vote of thanks to the speakers and confidence in the Country Party was carried.