PLAIN SPEAKING BY MR FISHER.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14919, 18 March 1914, Page 10

PLAIN SPEAKING BY MR FISHER.

THE POLICY OF THE SOCIAL

DEMOCRATS

KEYNOTE OF THE GENERAL

ELECTIONS

(STECIAL TO "THE PRESS.")

AUCKLAND, March 17

The attitude of the Government towards the Social Democrats or Federationists was a subject briefly touched upon by the Hon. F. 31. B. Fisher, Minister of Customs and Marine, at tho opening of the Ngaruawahia electrical works. "While the present Government is in power," said Mr Fisher, "it is determined that no small section of the people of this country is going to rule the rest. (Applause.) The Government is not going to allow New Zealand to bo dominated or terrorised by men who look upon it as their right to dominate and terrorise it. According to the tenets of such people, tho rights of free speech are to be denied. This was demonstrated to mc a tew nights ago. If a man on strike is to have rights which he would not havo if he was not on strike, then it is time we put our backs to the wall and resisted. (Applause.) 1 made it clear to my opponents at the meeting in Wellington the other night that if thero was anything in the threats of men who said they would distribute seeds of noxious weeds amongst the farms of the country and smash the packages of tho farmers on tho wharves of our ports, it was time all right-minded New Zealanders got together and determined to stamp out such practices." (Applause.) The Government recognised, Mr Fisher went on to say, that the farmer was the country's principal producer, and that, as such, he should have the best means of access to the markets of the world. New Zealand's prosperity was determined by the prices tho farmers could get for their products in markets over which this country had no control. "This country is not to be regenerated -by a class which has not the thinking capacity to enable it to guide the affairs of State." added the Minister. "However, they have boon made aware of the policy of the Government, and I hope that this will be the keynote of the coming general elections: v-iether the country is to be governed by constitutional methods or whether anarchy and revolution are to rule." (Applause.)