TOURING MINISTER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 281, 27 November 1931, Page 8

TOURING MINISTER.

MR, RANSOM SPEAKS AT

OHURA

CONFIDENCE IN MR. WACKROW

OHURA, this day

The Hon. E. A. Ransom, Minister of Lands, and Mr. W. H. Wackrow, Coalition United candidate for Waimarinp, addressed a. crowded . theatre . last night, the audience being orderly. The candidate traced Government measures for farmers' relief, and . said it had saved £25,000 a year by the inauguration of voluntary military training.Mr. Ransom said the Government's problems were those of Britain. -Financial organisation played too big a part in the prices of our produce and the returns from these had fallen to the exteiit of • £17,000.000 in two years. - Trade within the Empire was imperative or our future would be black. The Prime Minister went to the Imperial Conference with the special object of obtaining preferential tariff and they were glad to say good-bye to-him over there. A total of £24.000,000 .worth of goods were landed from foreign countries into Britain. This should come largely from the Dominions' Mr. Ransom said he favoured a board of trade to see that the price paid by the consumer to the producer was more equitable. He said New Zealand would be the first country to recover from the world depression bv bulk production and the reclaiming of waste lands. Criticism of Mr. Holland led to an interruption. Tho speaker said: "I notice that this audience was quite content to listen to mc, but did not want to hear anything that Harry. Holland said." (Loud laughter.) A questioner asked: "Were you not responsible for the •50 and 75 per cent cut on the tunnellers?" The Minister; Yes, . and they could stand more. The farmers got a 100 per cent cut on their returns for products.