“OUT OF HIS OWN MOUTH.”

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 173, 6 July 1912, Page 3

“OUT OF HIS OWN MOUTH.”

TO THE EOTTOB. Sir,—As President of the Farmers’ Union, I cannot allow the remarks i

made recently in Parliament by the I member for Napier to pass un-

noticed, “That the farmers do ‘practically nothing to improve their lands; that ‘the sheep make the noney w-hile they are asleep’ ; that God Almighty gives them special treatment’ ; that they are ‘always growling,’ and that the country has arrived at ‘a stage wdien the people were landless.’” These statements) >f the member for Napier do but; prove that he is fast qualifying, if not | already qualified, for the fate of | Ananias. | No doubt there are backsliders among us farmers just as there are among every section of the people. But w’hen it is so w'ell known, with the exception of the few. with what pleasure a farmer improves ins holding. if he has the wherewithal to do , it, and how frequently in times of. financial stress it is necessary to ffieck him lest he is carried too far into debt in order to gratify his ambition to improve his property, Mr. Brown’s brutal untruth is quite undeserved.

Your readers may be left to judge for themselves regarding three of the nember for Napier's charges, but so far as landlessness goes he can be made to prove the untruth of his own statement. If you refer to the paper which gives slich whole-hearted support to the member for Napier, dated 25/7/Jl, you will see that in his prosessional address “He had also told the electors that he would endeavour ;o get the Government to purchase Native lands between here and Wairoa. and much land had been purchased.”

In face of this and ignoring the ‘act that not an acre of the much ,ias yet been cut up by the State, Mr. Brown makes the above state uent re landlessness. Then again what has become of the land at rtunanga bought from the member or Napier’s mate, the Hon. G. W. Russell ’ An dthc Kaiwaka Block ind ti c Omabaki Block purchased oy the State from other interested political supporters. It’s a “bit rough” to be criticised ,y this blatant philanthrophist who :an’t even give a paltry present of ollies to school children without having his name printed on them for ‘ear they might not know’ from •vhence the munVicence came. Ton ;ct the measure of the man in acts ike these. Compare such actions vith the kindly unpublished generosity of men like the late Archdea■on Williams, or Mr. Campbell, of Poukawa, or of men living in our -nidst trying quietly and unosten.atiousiy to help t/ alleviate the suffering sick and needy and the deserving. The member for Napier seems to have abandoned himself to he fiendish work of propagating envy, hatred, malice, and all uniharitablencss by his political actions. How long will the Liberals af Napier suffer this political majority mongcrcr to bloat on the lifeblood of their party to which he has attached himself? I can answer for ane farmer who will be ready next election day to lend a hand to support any other colour so long as it is not all red, and even that woidd be better than brown.—l am, etc.. JOHN LANE. Korojtipo.