Seeing Red

Manawatu Times, Volume 70, Issue 266, 10 November 1945, Page 6

Seeing Red

“If the farmers of New Zealand carry out the threat uttered by some of their leaders and pour milk down the drain rather than send it to the cities, it will mean among other things that food shipments to Britain, the farmers’ greatest customer, will be cut.” That is the opening sentence of a leading article in this week’s Labour Standard, the heading of which, in vivid red ink, reads: “Farmers’ Threat Means B’oocl Cut for Britain.” The editorial goes on to speak of the “inordinate political spleen of a few men who are able to leave their farms whenever they wish to join in a political ramp,” and concludes with a warning that the farmers may “antagonise the people who provide most of their income—people who can turn to margarine when better times come, or develop the Danish market.” No doubt the farmers will be duly grateful for the kindly interest taken in their welfare by the Labour Standard, together with the warning about the possible effect of direct action on British food supplies. But why this sudden concern of the Standard for the food supplies of the people of Britain? Direct action affecting the people of Britain is no new thing in New Zealand. On the waterfront, in the coalmines, in the freezing works—we had it so frequently during the critical war years that it became commonplace. Direct action seriously interfered with the war effort and the flow of food to Britain. But the Labour Standard never even whispered a word of rebuke, still less of condemnation. The “Red Thunderer” stayed “as dumb ns a drum with a hole in it.” Apparently direct action becomes a virtue or a vice not by reason of its effect on the life of the community but by reason of the political colour of the direct actionists. Farmers who work 50 hours a week are committing a crime if they take direct action, but watersiders who work 30 hours a week should each and all be presented with a George Medal every time they defy authority and take direct action. The fanners will know how to treat the read headlines in the Labour Standard just as they will know how to treat the men who sang the “Red Flag” in Parliament the other night.

October’* Cold Becord Me&a temperatures during October were about two degrees below normal in the North leland and often three to four degrees in the south where new rceorde were established, reports the Director of Meteorological Services, Wellington. The previous coldest October was in 1930, but probably for the country as a whole and certainly for the South Island 1943 becomes the coldest since reliable records have been available

Uttle Theatre Entertains The president of the Little Theatre Society accompanied a small party of members of the society to the Palmerston North Public Hospital on Thursday evening and gave a bright entertainment to the civilian and military ex-prisoners of war from the Far East. The matron and a number of nurses were also present. Songs, humorous recitals, quartette items and community singing were greatly appreciated by the patienta