POLITICAL.

Northland Age, Volume 25, Issue 14, 30 July 1925, Page 7

POLITICAL.

MR. ROBINSON EXPLAINS. Mr. A. E. Robinson, organizing i secretary of the F. U., speaking I at Kaikohe, explained the steps that led up to the appointment of Mr. Sweeney as the Farmers’ I candidate. He said that Mr. I Grounds had been first approach- ! ed and had replied that his business on the Dairy Control Board precluded his coming out as the ; farmers’ representative. Mr. R. B. Russell had also found himself unable to accept nomination. Very considerable delay occurred and Mr. Sweeney’s appointment as the official candidate of the farmers was the final unanimous decision of the committee set up by farmers from all parts of the electorate. It was a thoroughly constitutional selection and, he maintained, a thoroughly sound man had been brought out. As the principles for which the Farmers’ Party stood were too strong for attack, the attack would be directed at the man. That was futile. The extreme importance of placing in Parliament a direct representative of the small working farmer, one who would limelight the extraordinary difficulties of the producers was above any other considerations and the farmers were going to vote for principles this election. They had never previously had that opportunity. ADDRESS AT PAKARAKA. At Pakaraka, on the 18th inst., Mr. H. J. Sweeney addressed a large gathering of farmers’ unionists. A hearty vote of thanks and confidence in Mr. Sweeney as the Country Party candidate was carried with acclamation, those present forming themselves into a branch of the Country Party Political League and setting up a committee to further his candidacy. Messrs Roberts and Robinson also addressed the meeting. KAIKOHE ADDRESS.

Mr. Sweeney addressed a wellattended meeting of the Farmers’ Union at Kaikohe on the 20th inst. Several ladies were also present. In his address he dwelt largely on the difficulties of the small working farmer, stating that these were due to lack of capital, to the high rate of interest charged on the available capital, to the high costs of material used and the poor reading and transport facilities in many parts. Mr Sweeney said that the remedy lay in organisation. All other branches of the community were organised and could look after themselves. The brunt therefore fell on those who remained unorganised. It was said that the farmers would not organise, would not work together. The fact that he was addressing them at that present moment as a straight-out farmers’ candidate was a sufficient answer to that thread-bare statement. The phase of disorganisation amongst farmers was passing—-co-operative dairy companies, dairy and meat control boards, the rapidly-increasing strength of the Farmers’ Union and last, but not least, the Farmers’ Political League, all attested the awakening ot the farmer to the need of united action. He did not think that they could get very far without political action—the only constitutional way of obtaining redress of grievances. In order to provide farmers with sufficient capital at a reasonable rate of interest, the Country Party advocated the inauguration of an Agricultural Bank. This subject had been fully dealt with at other times and was altogether too extensive for more than mention. He advocated the nationalisation of all main roads and contended that it was unreasonable to expect settlers in sparsely populated counties to provide roads in addition to the capital required in their business. Main roads served a national purpose, were a national affair and should be paid for out of the consolidated funds. After enumerating many instances of back-block hardships due to lack of reading facilities and stating that these settlers who had ho access were paying for roads they never saw, Mr. Sweeney stated that he could not see any way out for the northern counties under the present rating system. The nation should assume its own responsibilities and the farmer would then be able to apply himself to providing facilities for those who at present had none.

He believed that immigration was only of value insofar as it succeeded in placing bona fide settlers on the land under satisfactory working conditions and that such conditions do not exist today in this land, where thousands of practical farmers are having to leave their farms and 140,000 acres of land have gone out of occupation altogether. He

thought that finance was the key to this, as to many other farming problems and the fact that the banks exact over 7 per cent made it impossible for farmers not working under favourable conditions to carry on. The interests of capital had to be conserved within reason, but should not come before the interests of the nation and those interests demand that the lands of the Dominion should be brought up to the full- | est possible stage of production. ; The greatest assets any nation possessed were the prosperity, happiness and contentment of its people and these ideals were best obtainable under really healthy, small-farming conditions; he was convinced that there was no better life for the mass of the people. Mr. Sweeney declared himself a believer in free trade within the Empire to whatever degree might be found practicable. Foreign goods purchased by Britain were almost without exception more costly than similar goods produced within the Empire and foreign nations often made a profit out of the Dominion-produced commodities at the expense of the British consumer. He instanced the case of Canada, where 79 million bushels of wheat peid 30 cents duty on admission to the U. S. A., which, in its turn, exported to the United Kingdom 280 million i bushels over the same period. Replying to a question as to whether it would not be better to buy out far-back settlers and place them on land already roaded, Mr. Sweeney asked the speaker whether he would place himself in thought on one of those farms, consider that he had spent the best part of his lifetime there, had broken it in under the most adverse conditions, expect- i ing all the time a long-promised road. Would he be willing to , abandon it at Government valu- j ation? He thought not. A branch of the Country Party Political League was formed, all those present being enrolled. A vote of thanks and confidence in Mr. Sweenev was passed with acclamation.

LABOUR CANDIDATE The Labour Party will run a candidate for the Bay of Islands seat and a conference of all branches in the electorate excepting Waihopo was held at Kawakawa on 26th to discuss the position. In connection with the selection ot a candidate it was decided to take a ballot of all branches, the following candidates having been nominated: Mr. A.E. Bissit (Russel) MU Geo Bowen (Hikurangi), Mr. Jones (Whangarei), and Mr. Fred Way (Auckland). The conference went fully into matters in connection with the campain and it was decided to raise a fighting fund of £3OO. The selected candidate is to take the field not later than October 6th. Of the candidates offering there is a strong feeling in favour of Mr. Bisset, who is a well-known public man, being chairman of the Bay Harbour Board, a member of the county council and other local bodies.