FARMERS' DISTRUST

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 130, 28 November 1940, Page 5

FARMERS' DISTRUST

SMALL FARMS BILL

WAIRARAPA PROTEST

THREAT TO SECURITY

Distrust and alarm were expressed by members of the Wairarapa branch of the New Zealand Fanners' Union yesterday at the provisions of the Small Farms Bill, which they regarded as a threat to land tenure in the Dominion. The meeting, held at Masterton, was addressed by Mr. A. P. O'Shea, Dominion secretary of the Farmers' Union, and Mr. B. V. Cooksley, president of the Dominion Market Gardeners' Federation. Mr. H. Morrison presided.

s The provision of the Bill and its possible effects were fully discussed, and the following motion was carried: —

That this meeting of farmers of the Wairarapa district views with distrust and alarm the provisions of the Small Farms Amendment Bill. While we would welcome and assist in any sound scheme for the settlement of returned soldiers, we consider that this Bill, while purporting to provide this, goes much further and strikes at the very root of our present system of security of land tenure. We emphatically, protest that the Government should introduce any measure which threatens this security and we fail to understand why the Government persist with this Bill, which has antag T onised the farmers throughout the country at the very time when they are called on to produce to the utmost to meet the call from the Mother Country for primary produce.

Mr. O'Shea said it was not a matter .of questioning the Government's intentipns, but of objecting to the powers conferred under the Bill. For in- '" stance, one man's farm could be taken -.:• and given to another. He did not say ■ the Government was going to do this, ' but the Bill contained power to do it. Some might scoff and say the power would not be used, but who could say ■:■■■■ it never would be? Who could fore-| ••■:■: tell the nature of a future Govern- . ment? • He believed that the farmers' case 1 would prevail, because it was. just— even if it took 20 years. Mr Cooksley said that in the past the Dominion executive of the Farmers' "■'■ljfnion had been criticised for its al- ""'■ :leged passive attitude. Were the Wairarapa farmers prepared to stand : behind the executive in any steps they decided to take or to recommend to the farmers? \ Members: Yes.