RED HERRINGS.

Northland Age, Volume 25, Issue 28, 29 October 1925, Page 3

RED HERRINGS.

(To the Editor) Sir, —In the last issue of the ‘Age’’ an article appears under die abo«e heading. The title is n unfortunate one for Mr. Sweeney, in whose interests the same is written. The “Age” tells us that' Mr. Coates “is being boomed to the skies, but there can be no ess-ape from the fact that he has L.ken up the leadership of a party which, while pretending to be the farmers’ friend has actually allowed the farmer to be exploited on all sides.” One would suppose that if your statement had any foundation the Country Party candidate would have pointed it out, and that of rl the parties in the field he would certainly not claim any connection with the Coates’ p arty. In the same issue of the .ge” Mr. Sweeney has an intereting advt. in which iie states that Bell has said that the Country t arty is allied with the forces of socialism, communism and revolution. This is a gross misstatemen* and a most unfair one to Bell, the Coates’ candidate. What Bell said at his meeting was: —‘That every vote cast for the Liberal party, the Country party, or the National party, was one vote taken away from th* Coates’ Government, and a \ote that would go to assist the L tour party —the party representin. the forces of communism and revolution.” In Mr. Sweeney’s s ;me advt., however, he would the electors to believe that he was a supporter of Coates, for he advises: “Vote for Coates and Sweeney.” This I consider is a deliberate steal of our Premier’s name, forthepurpose of catering the unwary, and an attempt to mislead the electors into thinking that Mr. Sweeney is supporting Coate*. The electors, more especially the farmers, have more brains than Mr. Sweeney gives him credit for. and will nod be misled by such tactics. What does the Premier himsett say on the subject ? As usual, in his characteristic way, he hits outstra : ght and from theshoulder. He says, referring to the National party “They also wish to annex Coates forvote-calchingpurp >ses. The most striking feature of the campaigning by Nationalises is their indiffenceto their own It ader and their wish to be identified with me and the party I represent.”

As to the Country Party, it comprises a clique of half a dozen men, obsessed with a fad, professing independence, and has undertaken to vote for or against the Government, according to whether the Government does or does not give this party all it ask for. In plain words this party ot six aspires to dictate to the Go\ eminent, and it does not speak for or represent the views of the majority of the farmers, who desire Coates to lead the country. Mr’ Coates in his speech at Whangarei makes the position clear. He states definitely that he does not want the support of the Nationalists or the Country Party on sufference or under conditions. He said :—“Give us an oppo- tunity ot showing what we are made of, and of placing our cot ntry head and shoulders above any other cosntry, for it won’t b for want of hard work and effort if we do not do so. If the country will send to Parliament men who will come in solidly behind me, pledged to the Government party and policy and pledged to s ipp-

ort me, the Dominion will be able to get things done.”

Mr. Sweeney in his advt. is quite prepared for the purpose of vote-catching to associate the name of Coates’ with his own. He was not prepared to say however that he would support C- iates on a no-confidence motion, nor has any other Country party candidate said so yet. Shortly, if the Nationalists, Liberals, and Labour party candidates returned are two less in number than the Coates Government, and the Country Party gets three men into Parliament, and the Liberal party moves a vote of no-cenfidence, how would the Country party vote? Does anyone know ? All that Mr. Sweeney has said is, that he would not vote for a Labour nocanfidencc motion. What it a Liberal no-confidence motion is moved ? He may vote for it, without breaking any pledge to the electors, because he has not given anv pledge. What would be the effect: the Liberals might get into power through his vote, and they would be kept in power by the Labour party, and dominated by that party. It would be almost as disastrous to the Dominion as the Labour party actually occupying the Treasury benches. Mr. Sweeney’s advt. might just as truthfully have read: —“Vote for Forbes and Sweeney or “Vote for Ward and Sweeney.” That the electors ar« solid for Coates is admitted by Mr. Sweeney by his eleventh hour attempt to associate his own name with Coates’ for vote-catching. Electors, vote fbr Coates and security, and the men Coates asks for, in this electorate Bell, the only official candidate and pledged supporter of the Coates’ party. I am, etc., A. Logan (Jr.) Kaitaia.

We must repeat that there is no disguising the fact that Mr. Coates is the much-advertised leader of a partv which has come under the dominance of influences with which the ordinary working farmer has nothing in common. We believe that many farmers are quite willing to give Mr. Coates a chance as head of a National Government but not as head of the present alleged “Reform” Government, which has allowed an armv of parasites to batten onto the farmer. That this army has taken up the parrot-cry, “Vote Coates,” is a very good reason why the working farmer should view the booming with suspicion. The one certain way ©f preventing a continuance of the exploitation which Mr. Coates has stood for as well as every other member ot the Reform Party including Mr. Bell, is for farmers to return their own men to Parliament. We se? nothing unfortunate in the reference to red herrings. For over JO years the Reform Party have drawn the same herring across the trail and during those years men, women and children have literally slaved on small farms to make a crust. The writer knows this from hard personal experience, and that is nis sole reason for backing the Country Party in its endeavour to get justice for the genuine farmers of the country.

Mr. Logan is wrong in declaring that the Country Party is comprised of a clique of halt a dozen men, obessed with a tad, and we hasten to enlighten him. For years successive Auckland Provincial Conferences of the Farmers’ Union declared in favour of political action, and finally gave their Executive definite instructions to tfike steps to establish a party Now these conferences were representative of the whole province, and although attempts were made on different occasions to defeat the idea, the majority in favour of it was so overwhelming that the opposition quickly collapsed, and finally

disappeared altogether. Acting on the instructions of these conferences, tlie Executive went to work. As far as the Bay electorate is concerned, at the conference held at Rangiahua on April 4th last, which was the most representative meeting of its kind ever held in the electorate, the farmers, through their delegates, voted unanimously for political action and formation of the Country Party. In plain words these men decided that they could no longer support the Reform Party whose solicitude lor the working farmer is only apparent at election time. If their desire to get a fair deal for themselves and their families is to be obsessed with a fad then it isa good healthy fad. We trust they will no longer be side-trac-ked by the Reform Party and men like our conespondent. It seems I ke presumption on Mr. Logan’s part t» say that the Country Party does not speak for or represent the views of a majority of farmers. How does he know ? The issue has never been put to the ballot box. We would like to point out that we are not responsible for what appears in Country Party advts. or what their candidate would do if eleced. We are, however, quite satisfied that he would do the fair thing by the menand women who sent him to Parliament and rid them of the present exploiters and extortionists. In other words he would help those who have 1 opay off the mortgage and carry the burden of production as against those who toil not and who are allowed by the Reform Government to exploit the farmer. Mr. Bell, it seems, is doomed to misrepresentation, but we observe that our correspondent is siient upon his record in Parliament and even his action over the northern railway. But has he been misrepresented ? Mr. Bell stated at Kaitaia that the Country Party in running a candidate for the Bay seat was allying itself with the forces of socialism communism and revolution for “every man who casts a vote against Gordon Coates casts a vote in favour of the Extreme Socialist Labour Party.” (Northlander 14/10/25). Thus if any fanner casts a vote for the Country Party he is, according to Mr. Bell, voting for the Labour Party which Mr. Bell accuses of socialism communism and revolution. It is the usual red herring, but we do not think farmers will stand for it this time. Our correspondent might call the following another case of misrepresentation. Speaking at Kaitaia (vide Northlander) Mr. 8011, in referring to the work of the State Advances Department, said “the Government has decided to borrow another five millions and clean up all old applications within the next six months.” . Speaking at Rawene (Hokianga Star 22/10/25) Mr. Bell said it “was almost impossible for the department to overtake the work, and that there were 105 applications per day applying for assistance,. They had now applications tor £80,000,000 advances and it was quite impossible for the Government to obtain the money.” [Editor “Age”]