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SECTIONAL STRIFE

CONTINUATION MAY MEAN CIVIL WAR MR MULHOLLAND’S OPINION! (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 3. If sectional strife in New Zealand continued it might “even go to the extent of civil war,” said Mr W. W. Mulholiand, Dominion president of Federated Farmers, referring to-day to the recent threatened protest against the abolition of the country quota. Mr Mulholiand was speaking on political questions affecting farmers at a luncheon given by the National Club.

“It is important that we realise where class differentiation is taking us,” he said. “If it it looks as if the Government intends it to continue and accelerate there must be an explosion. The people must see that it stops.” People who had gone to extremes of constitutional action could not be blamed for considering direct action when they saw that small sections of the community could force their will on the Government by physical action, he continued. If the miners and waterside workers went on strike their action had an immediate effect on the whole community. It had been suggested that farmers should refuse to take their stock and produce to the markets. If farmers were induced to take that action it would be through bad leadership, as the immediate effects would be felt only by the farmers themselves.

Slowing Down of Production A sudden cessation of production was not possible, Mr Mulholiand said, but what was possible and' far more serious was a slowing down of production. It could be done in an organised way, but he was afraid it was not going to be organised but would be brought about by the legislation the Government was enacting. If farmers took organised economic action to reduce production it would not begin one day and end the next. It would have to be taken for years before it could impress itself. Organised economic action would mean suffering and severe economic conditions for at least five years. It would be followed by a painful process of rebuilding the productive capacity of the country. Farmers suffered by the electoral amendment legislation no more than any other section of the community, Mr Mulholiand said. The legislation not only abolished the. country quota but made other changes in the electoral system which were, perhaps, far more serious. He .referred particularly to the provision for the use of the adult population figures in determining the electoral boundaries. The whole question should be regarded as one for New Zealand, not just a matter for the country and much less a matter for farmers only. A party in grave danger of losing power had searched every means, including those of electoral procedure, to give itself every possible chance of winning the next election. That in itself was a grave wrong, but the way in which the legislation was brought abbut was much more serious. The Government had by means which could only be described as “deceitful” introduced legislation without giving the electors any opportunity to examine it. “The Government deceived the organisation with which I am associated and deceived it by actual words, said Mr Mulholiand.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AG19451204.2.64

Bibliographic details

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 46, 4 December 1945, Page 5

Word Count
512

SECTIONAL STRIFE Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 46, 4 December 1945, Page 5

SECTIONAL STRIFE Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 46, 4 December 1945, Page 5