WANTED—A SPIRIT OF GOODWILL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 7 June 1927, Page 2

WANTED—A SPIRIT OF GOODWILL

'.To the Editor) Sir, —He a nows article in your issue of 2nd .June featured in large type “Evils of Control Restrict,iops 00 Export , Stagnation. in Rural Land Market. IJjiUicplliiPK of (.he on' flpq Laud.’’ Now, S(.r, [ yoU anic you u cominoi-l fsirg®H to (hq _g#RersJ public ami the man cm the land in particular whom this article is intended to mislead. Read it carefully and ask yourselves if this is playing the game. This article is a deliberate lie. Is little piffle getting there all llie same and a fair sample of the constant propoganda, that is holding this beautiful country of ours and its people down in the throes of depression and misery. To-day, Sir, when we require the cooperation of all right thinking men and* women to endeavour to bring about a spirit of goodwill in the. community it is truly regrettable that the Press should be allowed a free hand to sow dissension. Farmers are at their wits end to make eritis meet. Indeed, a great many are not doing this. Business people are restive and are not doing the trade they should rightfully be getting, arid unemployment is rile. Great sacrifices are being made in time and money to bring Hie farmers together. But we are continually bombarded with press, Free Marketing League or . Welfare League poisoned gas. It is the heel of tliis same, shipper business man referred to in your article that the people are suffering front. “Restrictions in Export.” The idea of such a thing, it’s the restrictions on the price we are worrying about. The shipper takes all the profit, and there is nothing. left for the farmer. “Stagnation in Rtiral Land Market.” Same cause. “Difficulties of the Man on the Land.” Same cause- You have been silent on the truths of dairy control. Yet you have printed in large type every damning indictment against it, inspired by those speculators whom the London “Daily Mail” says were the only people opposed fo New Zealand dairy control. Also that control hoards were an “economic necessity of the times” and were here to, stay. But the Press as the hired mouthpiece of these economic wastrels bombarded the dairyman until his heart melted in pity for the speculator, and by his own misgtiirl ed vote placed him triumphantly buck on to Ins throne.

We passed unanimously at the Farmers’ Union Conference last week a resolution supporting the Dairy Control Act and those members, Messrs Goodfellow, Thacker, Grounds and Company wiio had taken a firm stand. This was not even published as carried, much less put in large print and put through the Press Association. Had it been in the opposite direction pos,sibly this would have been done, We do not presume to suggest how you should run your paper, Sir, but we do earnestly desire to, enlist your assistance in the cause' of co-opera-t ion to bring about a speedy return of Serity and contentment to tho e of New Zealand. If you question our efforts at co-operation, then it is because you do not understand us. To remove any misunderstandings in this respect I am prepared at the invitation of any responsible body in Nelspn to give a public address in. Nelson, the same as 1 did in Westport and Blenheim. Farmers then can meet hankers, professional, business people and workers and better understand one another for the good of my country and my people.—l am, etc., O. C. WILKINSON. Hiwaka, 6CII June.

[The article to which our correspondent takes exception was a reported expression of opinion by a Christchurch business man. Contrary opinions haye also been published in “The Mail” which Ifas not opposed co-operation. We would also remind our correspondent that in our issue of Ist June appeared a lengthy report of the. annual address of the President of the Nelson branch of tho Farmers’ Union. In that address tiie President remarked that “Dairy control in the hands of extremists may do much to destroy the markets we already possess.” Mr Wilkinson sought to get tiiis passage deleted but the meeting decided against him. It is a pom 1 cause that necessitates the adoption of such tactics. Our correspondent does not assist his appeal for a “spirit of goodwill” and for a better understanding between all sections of the community by indulging in abusive and extravagant language.—Ed. “The Mail.”]