LABOUR'S LAND POLICY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17271, 22 September 1919, Page 8

LABOUR'S LAND POLICY.

REPLY TO CRITICISM. Mr. M. J. Savage, national secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party, in » reply to the criticism of the Labour Party's land policy made by Mr. S. E. Wright at the annual meeting of tbs Auckland Employers, says — Tha Labour Party is indebted to Mr. Wright for his frank criticism of its platform. In his paper read to the Employers' Association, Mr. Wright is reported to have said that the first clause of Labour's land policy, "the conservation i of the national endowment," coupled with j the alleged remarks of Mr. Parry "that i he would be pleased if it could be demoni strate I by anyone that the owning class j would submit to expropriation withcut a, struggle," meant confiscation if words ! meant anything. Although present at the Labour conference I did not hear these, ■ words used. To use Mr. Wright's j own statement, "if words mean anything" | clause 6 of Labour's land policy makes it j quite clear that confiscation "is not in- ! tended. The clause reads as follows: — "A State valuation of all privately-owned land, such valuation to remain on record as the measure of present landholder's | interest in land." Then Mr. Wright says ,' that speeches made during the confer- , ence go to show that the Labour Party inj tended to restrict prices of farm products. Surely Mr. Wright knows that speeches made at conferences do not necessarily express the will of the majority present, or the policy of the party concerned. The Labour Party's platform makes no reference to restriction of prices. On the other hand, a number of Labour spokesmen are convinced that the proposal to fix prices by law is a fallacy, and certainlv not the solution of the problem of high prices. hen again, Mr. Wright speaks of an aileged desire on the part of the Labour Party to compel farmers to work long Lours while asking for forty hours per week for themselves. This is quite erroneous The Labour Party is anxious | to assist the farmer to shorten his hours ot labour by making it possible by the use of modern machinery to do the same Wor : " shorter time. Labour's policy would provide for financial accommodation to those desirous of keeping abreast of the time. However, we should be delighted to meet Mr. Wright before an audienco of farmers to discuss our policv m detail, Mr. Wright to choose the place o. meeting, time to be mutually agreed upon. J b