MR MACFARLANE AND THE BUSINESS GROUP

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22519, 29 September 1938, Page 9

MR MACFARLANE AND THE BUSINESS GROUP

TO I’M EDITOR OS L'HB PRESS. Sir, —Mr Stillwell noticed that the Business Group is attacking Mr Macfarlane’s candidature. Mr Stillwell evidently did not notice that Mr Macfarlane first attacked the Business Group. Mr Stillwell, although he admits ignorance of the membership of the Business Group, says that only a very small number of businessmen are represented therein. Mr Stillwell then dilates on Labour’s creation of prosperity with consequent benefit to business.

.Now the position is that in the Businessmen’s Group more than 9CT per cent, at least of the business, professional, and engineering communities are represented. Even Mr Stillwell will agree that members of the Business Group have a certain qmount of intelligence. Ordinarily the vast majority of the members have no active interest in politics. The Labour Party, however, has made a definite onslaught on to the whole structure of private enterprise in New Zealand, which is none the less threatening because it is disguised under a sickly smothering of sentimental eye-wash. As for Labour’s creation of prosperity, no one has yet explained how the Labour Government was instrumental in raising export values from thirty-three million odd pounds in 1932, to sixty-five million odd pounds in 1938.—Yours, etc.. C. ROY HARRIS. September 28. 1938.