FARMERS AND POLITICS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 30 October 1922, Page 5

FARMERS AND POLITICS.

I THE COUNTRY PARTY

CANDIDATE'S NOVEL ADDRESS.

(BY TEJjEGRAPH —PKESS ASSOCIATION,'^ AUCKLAND, Oct. 20. Th© (Country Party's attitude to politics was outlined at Paeroa last night, when the election campaign in the Ohinemuri electorate was opened by Mr. F. Col-beck, the nominee of the Country Party. In his opening remarks the candidate explained the reason for the formation of the Country Party, and spoke at length on the oftpublished aims and objects of the party.. For several years the Farmers' TJnioii had been trying to get the Government to move in the direction of certain re~ forms, and only during the last three months had some of those measures i been introduced by the Government, j The directions in which assistance had ' been given were the inauguration of a pooling scheme to deal with farmers' produce, the permit to establish, a pro-' ducers' shipping line, and a move in reducing the heavy taxation with which! the farmers were burdened. Another important question which the speaker described as the Country Party's "sheet anchor,'' was the right to establish an agricultural banking system. When the Bill dealing with that question has been passed by Parliament the Country Party would be prepared to retire from the present contest. The speaker stated that he wished to explain a statement which he made at an informal meeting of farmers regarding selling his rote. The statement was purely a personal one, and the farmer was not at the back of it. The speak.' er warmed up at this stage, and attacked the farmer for lack of loyalty to his party. He said he would never have ! consented to stand if he thought that! the farmers would have "gone back" on ' him. His own dairy company had! elected a committee to support and: work for his opponent, and Colonel R. ] C. Allen, who was really the "god-: father" of his party, was against him.' He stated he* was-.sick to death of the farmer who had no sense of loyalty. He ielt that he would not walk across the stage to help them, but would let them "wallow in their mud." "I don't want anything to do with politics," he continued. "They are the dirtiest things I know of. I have never been in gaol, have never been divorced, and have not been an annoyance to my neighbours, but my own friends have said things about me since I entered politics in this campaign that make me blush in my sleep. lam one jrf those candid men who speak the truth, and we don't get too much of that in politics." I When asked if he really meant to go to the poll, the candidate stated: "I really cannot say; but I am going to have that agricultural bank or go to the poll, and I hope to the Lord that I won't go to the poll.'' i