“AVOIDING ISSUES.”

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10726, 25 October 1928, Page 4

“AVOIDING ISSUES.”

HON A. D. McLEOD ON MR POLSON. “C R KDiT-DESTKO YING ASSERTIONS.” Ipresg ASBociatlOß-J CARTERTON, Oct. 24. The Hon. A. D. McLeod, speaking at Pirinoa last night, made the following reply to the attack by Mr W. J. Poison, the opposition candidate for the Stratford seat: Mr Poison returns to the attack with his usual adroitness in avoiding issues. Since speaking in the Waikato some time ago I have stated time and again that I will withdraw unreservedly everything I have said regarding the Farmers’ TJnion participating as a union in party politics. provided I have his a: .-liranee that certain organisers of the union mentioned by me are not, ur.d have not been, in receipt of _ payments from the Dominion organisation during,. sav, the past 12 months, when they have been actively working against Reform candidates in ■ different parts of the Dominion. . “Further,, he persists in his stupid statement that 4,000,000 acres of land have gone back into fern, and second growth during Reform’s term of office, and now. endeavors to wriggle out of his untruthful eie-dit-destroymg assertion by ' quoting the Lyttelton ximes, the Christchurch Press, or the Am 1 land Herald. I have quoted figures from official sources on several occasions which prove Ins statement- absolutely incorrect, and lie now aggravates the position by making the bald and ridiculous assertion that 1,000,000 acres is reverting annually. Since 1012, a, 000,000 acres of unoccupied land have been added to the occupied lands of the Dominion, and of this 575.000 acres have been selected since 10 IV. Mr Poison ' knows, perhaps better than anyone else, that this accretion was not made from cleared country, or from land capable of carrying stock, but from land almost- entirely fern, scrub, or bush, and the fact that the area of this class of land is not materially increased shows that instead of holding back, the position, taking the Dominion as a whole, has been well maintained; yet Mr Poison blindly persists in a statement which has a detrimental ctfect, by causing the withdrawal of investment money from rural securities.?'