TREND OF EVENTS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 198, 21 August 1943, Page 4

TREND OF EVENTS

SURPRISE EXPRESSED

ATTITUDE OF FARMERS

A deputation of the Dominion executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union waited upon the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, at Wellington yesterday on his return from the North, to discuss the Servicemen's Settlement and Land Sales Bill.

On his return to Auckland this morning, the secretary of the Auckland Farmers' Union, Mr. A. E. Robinson, said that the deputation consisted of a number of the executive members, who had remained in Wellington for the purpose. They were led by the president, Mr. W. W. Mulholland, and received a very cordial hearing from Mr. Fraser.

Mr. Robinson said that it was generally admitted that an automatic way of dealing with the possibility of exaggerated land prices would be acceptable, and the Government appeared to be impressed by the value of the union's suggestions. In view of the discussion, Mr. Robinson stated that he was very much surprised at the course of the subsequent events in Parliament, and could only suppose that a decision of caucus had overruled the Government. The suggestion by Mr. Nash in the" House that men who could pay cash would have an advantage over those who could not, was a mere statement of the position as had always obtained, and would obtain with regard to all sales. The criticism in the House was, in Mr. Robinson's opinion, extremely feeble and he confessed that he was utterly at a loss to understand why the Government did go on with the bill.

Mr. Robinson said that 'it was acknowledged that the Farmers' Union had given the Government every assistance and this had been prolonged up to the present moment. He doubted whether the Government could count on the assistance of the Farmers' Union in connection with the operation of the bill.