LABOUR’S OVERTURES TO FARMERS.
To The Editor. Sir, —Your article on the above topic is a poor attempt to discredit a, lady speaker whose handling of a. difficult subject met with the general approval of those whii heard her. You regard as “amusing” the spectacle of Mr. Holland trying to induce farmers to support Labour, but you would probably be more alarmed than amused if you had any idea of the real swing over to Labour of the working farmers of this Dominion —a transition arising not, as you might suggest, from any dissimulation on the part of Labour leaders, but from a widespread disillusionment among the farmers and the growing realisation of the community of interest between the' land worker and the industrial worker, which has arisen in many other countries besides ,New Zealand. The dragging in of the 1913 strike is irrelevant, in view of the fact
that many of the farmers who were then willing to wield the baton against the working class now realise that the shipping companies, against whom Labour then fought, are as much the oppressors of the farmer as of the sweated “wharfie”. That you are in really desperate in making a case against the Labour Party is evidenced by your attempt to saddle the party with the responsibility for the shortage of coal .during the war. I characterise as absolutely false the suggestion that the Labour Party or the miners restricted the output o' coat during the war years. The figures provide an absolute vindication of the miners There are only five years out of the 41 years of recorded coal mining history in New Zealand ir which the production of coal per mar underground exceeds 70Q.._tons. Foui of these years were 1915, 1916, 1917 and 1918. The other year was 1911 In 1916 the output was 750 tons per man, which was not only a. record for New Zealand, but also a world record. Tf we take the five years period immediately prior to the war (1910-1914 V we find that the output per year averaged about 650 tons per man underground. In the 1915-19 period it w r as over 712 tons per man'. How does this square kvith the suggestion that restriction of output was practiced by miners to the detriment of-the farmers? Anv honest person, must admit that if foal was scarce during the war years it was scarce because so many of the miners were away on active service, and not because those wlio remained were slacking on the job. No one can berate the miners who were on active service for not producing coal in New Zealand, ‘ nor can anyone, honestly criticise those who remained and increased output to the point of establishing a world’s record. It is surely time that in the interest’s of truth, and in common fairness to the miners of New Zealand, newspaper editors ceased from blackening their splendid record by statements for which no proof can be given. Practically every innuendo that you are capable of making a gain si any section, of Labour can be as completely refuted. No on e accused Mr. Massey of creating the boom, and yoi have not disproved Mrs. Devamiyb assertion that Mr. Massey failed tc warn the people of its temporary nature It is not true to, describe the boom a? a “natural” result arising out of eon ditions which have been brought aboul by the war. So far from its being v, natural” result, nothing is more certain that it was mainly an avoidable result and could have been at least mitigated by wise statesmanship For instance, an export tax sufficiently higl to have taken the excessive portion of the high price of export products would have left the average farmer no worse off than in normal times, would have checked the inflation of land values, have nipped speculation in the bud, and would, by avoiding the. necessity fo; such heavy borrowing, have left the country ultimately in a much soundei financial position. This was foreseen at the time by many opponents of the Government, and would probably be endorsed to-day by anv impartial economic expert. But rather than take any such courageous course, the New Zealand Government (a Government including the Liberal leaders, be it remembered) preferred to let things take their own course, with the i-esulting financial chaos in the rural industries. That Mr. Massey failed to warn the farmers of the temporary nature of the boom is clear from the extent to which the Government itself was misled by conditions prevailing. Surely a Government which was in a position to warn the farmers would have been careful itself to avoid the mistake against winch it was warning the farmers! But we know that land was bought by the millions of pounds at inflated values, unci that mimeroiis hoards have just
recently been engaged in writing clown the uotitious values at which laud was bought. Your contention that Mr Massey cannot be charged with the .a 1 lure to warn the farmers, as stated by Mrs. Devaimy. would lie ridiculed ov every farmer who had been caught in the mill bv the fall in values. Labour has no desire to mislead the farmer, and indeed credits him with too much common sense to permit of this being dou“. All it asks h-'m to do is look behind the screen of prejudice maintained by/the anti-Labour press and to realise that the interests of the working avmer and those of the workers by hand or brain in other spheres of Used activity are indentical. and are only to be preserved bv presenting a ■mited front against the'exploiters "the monopolists, and the financial despots w ,. bv thpir control ove.- the means uf life threaten, the livelihood of rtousands of the most useful people ’ii the community.—l am, e t c ., W. BROWN, Secretary Hawera Branch N.Z. Labour Party. November 19, 1924.
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Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 26 November 1924, Page 10
Word Count
987LABOUR’S OVERTURES TO FARMERS. Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 26 November 1924, Page 10
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