LABOUR AND LAND

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 145, 22 June 1938, Page 12

LABOUR AND LAND

WHAT IS THE POLICY?

APPARENT DIFFERENCES

MR. SAVAGE & PARTY

Pointed comment upon the remarks recently made by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) concerning the Government's land policy was made by Mr. Q. C.. Mazengarb, Nationalist candidate for Wellington Suburbs, in an address at the National Club today. Mr. Mazengarb reviewed several of the land nationalisation decisions of the • Easter Labour conference, and concluded by asking some direct questions concerning the apparent difference between Mr. Savage's intentions and the decisions of the Labour Party conference.

"Of all the utterances made by the Jvime Minister on his recent tour the strangest, was his denial of any intention to socialise land," said Mr. Mazengarb. "Why? For over twenty years this intention has had pride of, place in the published objective of his party! At various Easter conferences the expression 'nationalisation of the land' has appeared as a prominent plank In his party's platform.

"Mr; Savage now asks quizzically, 'What on earth would we do with the land if we had it?' The land nationalises have, answered this question for him time and time again. The scheme is to acquire all the freehold lands of the Dominion and lease them at rentals based on the Government valuation. The purchase money is to be provided by. means of Government bonds redeemable on a 5 per cent, basis over a period of twenty years.

' ''When this scheme was outlined to one conference of Mr. Savage's party the question arose as' to whether any interest should be paid to the former owners of confiscated lands. The mover of the proposal (now a prominent Cabinet Minister sitting alongside Mr. Savage) disposed of this difficulty by saying, 'The bonds might be interestbearing or non-interest-bearing; personally he thought they should be non-interest-bearing.' Just fancy! Taking a freeholder's land, renting it back to him, and then paying him the purchase money by instalments spread over twenty years, and those instalments provided possibly by the rent he pays for his former land. Mr. Savage says 'our job is to keep the man on. the land.' Exactly, but as owner or tenant? MR. NASH'S VIEWS. "People might say that was the party's policy when in Opposition; perhaps it has, changed since it became the Government.' Let us see. At the very first Easter conference after its victory at the polls in 1935, the Hon. W. Nash (president for that year), addressing those present as 'comrades,' announced his remedy for the ills of society in these words: 'Social ownership of natural resourcessocial control of the methods of utilising those resources. ... I see no other way. of solying existing problems than that of co-operative commonwealth.' This was just a different set of words adopted by Mr. Nash, to express the same ideas. You may call it 'common ownership,' 'land nationalisation,' 'State ownership,' "or 'Socialisation of the means of production,' said Mr. Mazengarb, "but the intention is the same.

"Mr. Savage was present with Mr. Nash at that conference, which, after a resolution appreciative of the Government's achievements, proceeded to deal with ,the remit, the first of which was: That this conference'reaffirms the party's objective—the socialisation of the means of production, distribution, and exchange, and the desirability of taking at the earliest possible moment such steps as are, necessary for 'its achievement.' The committee, in recommending that this remit be not proceeded with, reported to the conference as. follows: 'The committee is of opinion that no useful purpose can be served by affirming the obvious. There is no apparent desire within the ranks of the party to retreat from the pathway that leads to the Socialist form of society.'

"Are we to understand that Mr. Savage is now prepared to deny the obvious? Or is he himself wanting to retreat from the pathway that his party has prepared for him?.

"Next, let us look at the decisions of the 1937 conference, Mr. Savage doubtless remembers that Mr. D. Barnes, M.P., moved, on behalf of the conference committee, a. resolution expressing 'confidence in the present Government regarding land tenure, which is directed towards full utilisation of land having regard to prevailing conditions.' This did look like beating a retreat, but the conference would not adopt the recommendation of its committee until there was added, on the motion of Mr. H. Herring, M.P., the following words: 'And also recommends that a policy of nationalisation of land be carried out as soon as practicable.' WHAT IS THE ATTITUDE? "Does Mr. Savage tell the people of this 'country in the face of these decisions that we are free from the threat of socialisation of land, or is he desiring to take shelter in the contention that nationalisation is not practicable this year? Perhaps a more pertinent question for Mr. Savage to answer Is this: 'If your party again secures a majority in the House and the Labour conference should still again reaffirm its former decisions in favour of land nationalisation, will you flout those decisions or resign from the party?' "Ifs all. very well for Mr. Savage to say that he doesn't intend to socialise the land, but what about the Easter conference and the caucus that controls the' Government? And what protection 'Will we have from a Parliamentary majority carrying out the will of conference if Mr. Savage is not there to tell them they have gone far enough?"