ANNUAL PICNIC

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 February 1939, Page 7

ANNUAL PICNIC

WAIRARAPA LABOUR PARTY.

BIG GATHERING ON SATURDAY AT TAUHERENIKAU.

(“Times-Age” Special.)

The annual picnic of Labour Party branches in the Wairarapa constituency was held on Saturday last on the Tauherenikau racecourse under ideal weather conditions. About one thousand adults were present and children were in evidence and apparently had a great time. The general management of the function was in the hands of the local president of the party, Mr C. C. Kenward, who was supported by an energetic ladies’ committee under the leadership of Mrs W. Hall, and Mr Hall very capably ran the sports programme. A specially Tnteresting event was a wood chopping exhibition by two teams from Campbell’s Mill.

The Hon W. Lee Martin. Minister of Agriculture, and Mrs Lee Martin arrived on the course about 2 o’dlock and were very enthusiastically received. Other Parliamentary visitors were Mrs C. Stewart and Messrs H. E. Combs, J. Robertson and Ben Roberts. Mr C.' C. Ken ward presided over a public meeting in the afternoon and in welcoming the visitors said he doubted if such an able and numerous gathering of Parliamentarians had been seen in Featherston previously. Mr Martin complimented the Wairarapa Racing Club on the beautiful and well-equipped course it possessed, and hinted that his visits in future would be much more numerous In dealing with the political questions of the day, Mr Martin referred to exchange control, claiming that the Government was handling the problem not for the few, but in the interests of the vast majority, of New Zealand people. The guaranteed price, he said, had been an unqualified success and in asserting this he did so not as Minister of Agriculture, but as a practical dairy farmer. The Government would continue to legislate for the farmer, and the proposed additions to land legislation, he claimed, would be an advance on anything 1 enjoyed previously. The Minister spoke for about three-quarters of an hour and was loudly applauded on resuming his seat. Mrs Stewart and Messrs Combs, Robertson and Roberts made brief addresses and were very enthusiastically received. Mr Kenward thanked the stewards of the club for their courtesy and kindness in allowing the Party the use of the course. The custodian, Mr Anderson, was also thanked for the attention he had given to the requirements of the day.