The Hawera Star. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1924. LABOUR’S OVERTURES TO FARMERS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 18 November 1924, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1924. LABOUR’S OVERTURES TO FARMERS.

Delivered every evening by 3 o'clock m Hawera Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakelio, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waveriey, llokoia, Whakatnara, Ohangai, Meremere, Fraser Road, and Ararata.

“Mr. Massey's supreme blunder with regard to the farmer was his failure to utter on single word of warning that the- artificial prosperity of the boom period would be only temporary and must bo followed by a slump." in these words, as reported, a pleader for the Labour Parity denounced the Premier’s policy before her audience at the open air meeting in Hawera on Saturday. "We suppose that there is nothing more amusing in the political life of New Zealand to-day tljan the spectacle of Mr. Holland and his astrying to induce the farmers of the Dominion to support Labour’s policy. One looks back to 1913 to scenes on the Wellington waterfront, disgraceful scenes when the Red Fed-

eration of Labour did its utmost to hold up the country and prevent the fanners’ produce going forward to the markets. So serious did the position become that to maintain law and order; the services of fanners as special police had to be sougiht. One looks back to four and a quarter years of war when the people of New Zealand were offering their best men and large sums of money to protect the land and the homes of the nation. A finer effort was never made by any country, but again the Labour Party, with many of the same leaders as it has to-day, was hard at work placing obstacles in the way. Strikes at the coal-mines were frequent, and farmers know how difficult it was to secure sufficient fuel to keep tli'e factories going and how their produce was often subjected to hold-ups and consequent deterioration. One recalls the many denunciations of the farmers by Labour speakers in days gone by. But such things do not suit the Labour Party now, and they must for■sooth find some way of telling the farmer that Messrs. Holland, Fraser and Co. are his real friends! To show that, they talk of Mr. Massey’s “supreme blunder with regard to the farmer.” We note that reference is made especially to the “small farmer.” Herein we detect the sophistry of trying to divide a class of people into two sections, when their interests are entirely identical. But unfortunately for the Labour Party it is not correct to say that Mr. Massey failed to warn the country of the dangers of the boom period. Mr. Massey did not create the boom which, as any student of economics knows, was a natural result arising out of conditions which had been brought about by the war, and no country in the world escaped the effects; nor i,s Mr. Massey responsible for the slump. As everyone knows, warnings in plenty were given by leading, men and by the press. Sir Harold Beauchamp uttered the warning most emphatically long before the boom reached the climax. Soon after the war ended Mr. Massey urged people to work hard and economise, and pointed out that, the country’s recovery was possible only in this way. Speaking at Greymouth on February 17, 1921, Mr. Massey, according to the Press Association report, “stressed the need for public and private industry and economy in the next eighteen months. A good motto would be: ‘Take courage and keep busy.’ He said that the Dominion wanted more production.’’ A little later (March 18, 1921) Mr. Massey, referring to the slump which had then made its presence felt, said: “I must confess that if we are going to get out of this slump we have to commence rigid economy by drastic retrenchment. If it is necessary to start on salaries mine will be the first to suffer. I realise the necessity for giving and being industrious so as to pay our way.” It is absurd to charge Mr. Massey with failure to warn the people of the dangers of the situation which arose after the war, and the Labour'leaders would find it verv difficult to point to any action on their part that .led to a marked improvement or helped to allay the evil effects of the slump. The Labour Party, by its constant agitation, unreasonable demands, and stupid strikes, added to the difficulties, and it comes very badly from that party to claim that it has a policy that would help the farmer, and that Mr. Masscv is to blame for the hardships throup-h which the people on the land have been parsing.