LABOUR PARTY IN RAGLAN.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 250, 22 October 1928, Page 3

LABOUR PARTY IN RAGLAN.

MR. LEE MARTIN'S CAMPAIGN.

"NO INTERFERENCE WITH

TENURES."

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

HAMILTON, Sunday. "If. any proposal to interfere with existing land tenures is brought forward, I promise to oppose it," said Mr. jW. Lee Martin, Labour candidate for Raglan, in a speech at Te Kowhai last evening. Mr. E. C. Hockin presided. Mr. Martin said that since his return to Parliament at the by-election a year ago he had given the electors of Raglan no occasion for regret. He quoted references in which local bodies had expressed their appreciation of the manner in which their requirements had been attended to by him. The worst service the electors had done the country was to return the Reform Government to power in 1925 with such an overwhelming majority. If there had been a stronger Opposition, the country would have been given much better legislation than it had received.

rThe candidate advocated the placing of large sums at the disposal of the State Advances Office to meet the evergrowing needs of farmers for agricultural development and for homes for workers. He said he would also advocate the borrowing of sufficient money to clear up the arrears of applications received by the Advances Office. If the labour party were returned to power, it would commence immediately to do ■what the Reform Government promised to da three years ago. Fertilisers and freights on fertilisers should be mucli cheaper than they were. He conside.-ad the Agricultural Department was no* awake to the. requirements of the farmers.

He was not opposed to immigration but he considered that work, land and money should be made available for immigrants when they arrived.

"I give you my absolute assurance that the Labour party does not intend to interfere with existing tenure of the tend in this country," Mr. Martin said. "What we want to do is to stabilise the farming industry. We want to create a satisfied producing community. If any proposal to interfere with existing tenures is brought forward, I promise to oppose it."

The speaker was given a vote of thanks, proposed bv Mr. O. A. Manner, who, as the Country party's candidate, was one of Mr. Lcc Martin's opponents at the hy-elcction Inst year.