ALARM EXPRESSED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 136, 11 June 1938, Page 10

ALARM EXPRESSED.

STATE CONTROL.

DISPOSAL OF PRODUCE.

TELEGRAMS TO MINISTER. (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") INVERCARGILL, this day. Alarm at the increasing authority the Government was tsserting over the disposal of farm produce was expressed at the Southland provincial conference of the Farmers' Union to-dav.

The Dominion president, Mr. W. W. Mulholland, referred to a, statement by the Minister of Marketing, the Hon. W. Nash, that in reply to representatioiie by potato growers the Minister was making inqu-ries concerning the marketing of the Dominion's surplus potatoes and won! '. announce the procedure next week. Mr. Miilholland sent to-day the following telegram to Mr. Nai-li: —"Press reports representations from potato growers concerning marketing, and your intention to announce the procedure to be followed next week. No farmers' organisations have authorised representations. Any person claiming to represent growers had no right to do so. Farmers will resent commandeer of produce, which message seems to indicate is under consideration."

Mr. Mulholland said that because of the sweeping powers given to the Government by the Primary Produce Marketing Act the growers liad no legal right to ask to be consulted, but common courtesy demanded consultation. The majority of even the Government's supporters would not stand for full State ownership and control of the means of production, distribution and exchange. The Government's secrecy on this plank of the Labour platform was due to the knowledge that there was general opposition to it. The Government was being pushed by the Federation of Labour, which, with 180,000 members, was the strongest organised bodv in theDominion.

The Minister of Lands, the Hon F. Langstone, had told the recent La'jour patty conference that State ownership of land was the Governments aim, said Mr. Mulholland.