TIRED FARMERS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25161, 17 April 1947, Page 3

TIRED FARMERS

further statement BY MR SKINNER

“ FINGER-POINTING ” DISCUSSED

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, April 16 “Federated Farmers seems hurt at my pointing a finger at some anonymous tired farmers in the Gisborne' district, but after all it was the farm-1 ers concerned that started this finger-1 pointing business. Moreover, the' Federated Farmers’ organisation itself' has been making rather a specialty of pointing fingers at other sections of the ■ community for quite a long time now,! and has almost earned the alias of: ‘federated finger-pointers,’” said the Minister of Rehabilitation (Mr C. F. Skinner • to-day. “In the first place I expressed my appreciation of the excellent war effort of our farmers in my previous statement. This can be said of all our workers, but I pointed out that farmers were in no worse position than other sections of the community. 1 am quite ready to believe that many farmers now getting on in years are genuinely industrially tired, and unable to maintain their war-time efforts in face of post-war difficulties, but that by no means justifies them in ‘restricting their efforts a little,’ and not making full use of their land at a time when people on the other side of the world are actually starving, and while thousands of young former servicemen are eagerly scouring the countiy for farms. Let them give up the ‘unequal struggle,’ sell their farms to these servicemen, and enjoy a wellearned retirement. It will be interesting to see just how many of those complaining of ‘bureaucratic controls and interference’ are sufficiently fed up to want to let their farms go. “The Lands Department is subdividing and developing land as fast as it can for the settlement of servicemen. with a resulting increase in production of foodstuffs, but that is not an overnight job, and we urgently need reasonably developed properties for the early completion of our land settlement rehabilitation programme. “Not my finger alone will be pointing at any tired farmer who adopts the dog-in-the-manger attitude shown by the anonymous farmers concerned, but in the circumstances I feel I will have 5000 fellow former servicemen scornfully pointing their fingers in the same direction.” Fertiliser Supplies Fertiliser shortages were quoted in the original statement, said the Minister, but the actual position was that: the supply of fertiliser was, if any-’ thing, gradually improving, with bet-’ ter prospects in view. Under the pre-1 sent quota system every farmer was i assured of receiving his fair share. “Federated Farmers seems to bel daring me to do some finger-pointing] at other sections of the community: which have recently been indulging ' in direct action in the industrial field,” added the Minister. “I want to emphasise now that I think just as badly of any other worker who disregards constitutional procedure and strikes or goes slow to achieve his ends as I do of farmers who are taking this attitude, whether it is farmers, miners, watersiders, shop assistants, civil servants, or servicemen. All members of the community have an obligation to New Zealand and to the Mother Country to give of their best, and to negotiate reasonably and constitutionally for improved conditions and pay. Instead of defending their self-accused members, Federated. Formers have underlined their guilt by inviting me to include other sections of the community in my finger pointing. The Government has been continually badgered by Federated Farmers, along with certain other organisations, to interfere with other classes of workers who have adopted unconstitutional methods. I need hardly mention the hullabaloo that would arise at any suggestion that the Government interfere with farmers suspected of restricting their efforts for the same motives. For Heaven’s sake let this continual intersectional sneering and bickering stop, and let us all do our best for ourselves and our kinsfolk.”