FARMERS AND GOVERNMENT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 25 June 1943, Page 4

FARMERS AND GOVERNMENT

MR LEE MARTIN GIVES OPINION : SATIS FACTION"" WITH TREATMENT ON WHOLE (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) Wellington. This Dav. Speaking as a former Minister of Agriculture Mr W. Lee Martin (Govt.. Raglan) t6ld the House of Representatives yesterday that as far back as he could remember every Minister of Agriculture. no matter how good, always found that the farmers were "after him." That was his experience, though a prominent Farmers’ Union member recently expressed such appreciation of the speaker’s work as Minister, that he asked him to spare his blushes. Mr W. J. Poison (Nat., Stratford): The hon. gentleman always got credit from farmers. Mr Lee Martin retorted that if that were so why had they always tried to shift him at every election? The Minister of Labour, Mr P. C. Webb: The working farmers stuck to you and the talking farmers went against you. Mr Lee Martin added that outside a clique of agitators he believed the bulk of farmers were quite satisfied with what the Government had done for them. He refused to believe that all farmers were graspers. One had only to remember the magnificent contribution of sheepowners during the last war. which enabled Flock House to be established, as the result of which sons of British merchant seamen had been established on the land all over New Zealand. I? was a tragedy, he said, that there was a section of the community trying to widen the gulf between farmers and miners. Both were doing an important job to-day. He doubted if i n any country in the world farmers were doing such a great iob m keeping up production as were New Zealand farmers, and the miners, too, were doing a splendid job. It was only fair to give them recognition. That \>’as their due.