Labour And Land Nationalisation

Northern Advocate, 13 July 1938, Page 3

Labour And Land Nationalisation

[Per Press Association. Copyright.] WELLINGTON, This Day. The view that no specific denial had yet been given by the Government regarding statements that had been made about land nationalisation was expressed by the Dominion president of the Farmers’ Union, Mr W. W. Mulholland, at the annual meeting of the union yesterday. “When the Prime Minister. Mr Savage, finds it necessary to take some notice of the demand to know what the Government’s policy is. he gives an assurance that the Government is not trying to socialise the people’s clothes or their perambulators.” said the president. “This manner of turning off a most serious question only strengthens the suspicion that State ownership and control of the means of production, distribution and exchange is the deliberate, but undisclosed. policy of the Government." Mr Mulholland referred to a speech by Hie Minister of Lands, the Hon. F. Lang=tone, and to a subsequent statement by Mr Savage at Levin. The latter, lie said, had seemed to contradict Mr Langstone’s statement. “This should be a definite denial of the Government's intention to embark on the State ownership and control of farms,” he said. “But is it? There is no specific denial. It may seem to be an unworthy suspicion that a Prime Minister would employ such a subterfuge. but I am faced with the fact that the Minister of Lands has said that the policy is now in operation.

“K the Prime Minister’s words can be accepted at their face value, then the resignation of the Minister of Lands seems to be called for.”