FARM OWNERSHIP

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 199, 23 August 1945, Page 7

FARM OWNERSHIP

MR. WALSH'S CASE

DISCUSSION IN HOUSE Parliamentary Reporter. WELLINGTON, this day. Some brisk exchanges took place in the House of Representatives yesterday during a discussion on a question on land aggregation, in which the name of Mr. F. P. Walsh, a prominent member of the Labour Party, was introduced. Mr. Sheat (Nat., Patea) had asked the Minister of Lands, Mr. Skinner, whether the land sales committee were using the "undue aggregation" provisions of the law to prevent farmers who already owned one farm from acquiring additional farms, and whether such action was in accordance with Government policy.

Mr. Sheat, in a note to his question, gave particulars of an application which had been declined by the Wellington Land Sales Committee, stating that it had been made by a farmer who already owned a farm of 220 acres. The applicant was Mr. Walsh.

The Minister of Lands stated that the member for Patea should know that the land sales committees gave full consideration to the question of undue aggregation of land when dealing with transactions where persons already owning land sought to acquire more land. The member ought also to know that the Minister did not instruct these committees in any particular. There were thousands of these transactions, and it was strange that Mr. Sheat should give publicity to this particular one in the House and mention that one of the names connected with the applicant company was Mr. Walsh. The position was that Mr. Walsh owned 200 acres of dairying country outside Martinborough and was negotiating its sale to an ex-serviceman. This transaction was now before the committee and it was unfortunate that consent to the first sale had been delayed. Otherwise, there would have been no suggestion of aggregation. Mr. Walsh was acting for relatives, and wished to make provision for them. The purchase of the farm would have done no harm to any ex-serviceman. Terms of Lease Mr. Sheat said he objected to the suggestion that his question was put with ulterior motives. (Government laughter.) Mr. Walsh had a perfect right to hold land and put his capital into a farm, but he was represented as a magnanimous citizen. Was it not a fact that he had to get rid of the property because he was not complying with the terms of .the settlement lease, which required him to reside on the property? He never did so, but with the cognizance of the Minister of Lands he was farming the property through sharemilkers.

Mr. Doidge (Nat., Tauranga): Who is this Mr. Walsh?

Mr. Sheat: One of the "big three" of the Federation of Labour.

The Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, said Mr. Walsh was a member of the Stabilisation Commission and no man had given greater service to the war effort. The merchant seamen of New Zealand had an unsurpassed war record, and much of the credit had to go to their president, Mr. Walsh. He was informed that Mr. Walsh did live on his farm, and he knew -<that when he wished to get in touch with Mr. Walsh at weekends he had to telephone to Martinborough. When his sister asked him to arrange to purchase a farm for her husband, a returned soldier, Mr. Walsh endeavoured to arrange finance through an institution, which made the stipulation that Mr. Walsh should be joined in the transaction. Mr. Poison (Nat., Stratford) said he regretted that the Prime Minister had lost his temper over a question which, when it was asked and the name of Mr. Walsh was mentioned, was regarded on all sides as a remarkably good joke. He mentioned several occasions on which, he contended, there had been attacks on private citizens by Government members. However, he could see no good to be gained by discussing the matter further and they could let it drop.