LIBERALS AND LABOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18176, 23 August 1922, Page 10

LIBERALS AND LABOUR.

NEGOTIATION QlifSflOrJ, MB. WILFORD'S DENIAL. RETORT BY MB. ANDERSON. [BI TKLKOHAPH.— SVZCUh £EPOBCT» ; ] tVEJJjINGTON. Tuesday. During his speech in the Budget debate to-night, Mr. T. • M. WUford, Leader of the Opposition, repudiated the statement that the Liberal- Party was about to league itself with labour.. Such > state-, menb was a slander, because the Liberal Party stood for Empire and the Unon Jack. They were just as loyal as Vhe Prime Minister, perhaps mora so, because the Prime Minister's mainly of flag waving and lip service. He had never admitted in the House that he was prepared to negotiate'with Mr. Holland. What he had i»id was that he was prepared to negotiate with Labour to get, proportional representation to prevent vote-splitting, that and nothing more. The Hon, G. J. Anderwn, replying later, traversed the Liberal Party s relations with Labour, and said he could not explain them away. "A leader of a party," said Mr. Anderson, " speaks for his party. He could not got away from that. The moment he endeavoured to do so he must cease ,to be a leader, and take his place as one of the rank and file. In asking them to believe that there had been no negotiations, in asking the public of New Zealand to believe that, Mr. WUford was asking them to believe what no honest or sensible man* could possibly believe. . ~: -

THE FARMER'S ENEMIES. RABBIT AND BLACKBERRY. WORK OF THE .BOARDS. UnX TSIEQBAPH.—SPXCXAI. ,:• MHPOBTEB. J WELLINGTON. Tuesday. The rabbit and blackberry pea**™ briefly «ferred to by Mr, W. Srne) in the House to-day, **»«&# annual of the AgriculturalLDepartment was under consideration. Ho spoke first orthe menace of the blackberry m 35 North Island and advocated the establishment of boards, on the lines « the raMrit hoards for the eradication of this pltl K bcSds shouldl have functions Snilar to those of the rabbit boards with very wide rating powers. He.abo suggested that the Government should dwoourace the formation of small rabbit SSC holding that the large boards, wen, more effective and economical. He stated, Sat in Poverty Bay one board was operaKng over an Wof five or «■s"£■ acres, with a staff of 26 men, and xn that area the arabbit wa B more under control San in any other part of the Dominion. Mr. J. looting (Waikato) objected to this view m sai(T that they had fought for power to set up small rabbit boards and had found them so successful, that they would fight against their abolition. member for Gisborne then_referred to properties eta the East Coast, which a few years ago were carrvine 20,000 sheep and were now iSPsupporting from SoOOto 5000, as a result of ihe damage caused by the labbit peat. He mentioned that a lot of the mcrease in the blackberry and rabbit pest was due to the spread of these enemies i of the farmer on native and Crowns lands. In the large rabbit board districts of which !!h« had spoken, it was the pratetaoe to 1 kill rabb'its over both native and Crown lands. The cost of killing on native lands was charged against the land until such time as the land was alienated, while the cost of ridding the Crown lands of thepeat was charged directly to the Government. • : . .. The subject or the blackberry was also touched upon bv Mr. F. F. Hockly (Boto--1 rua), who said that in his district a number of settlers had -recently been prosecuted for failing to eradicate the pest, while nearby there, were large areas of Crown land oh which no effoirt was made to fight the menace. .' : Mr. G. W. Forbes (Hurunui) explained that in North Canterbury large rabbit jbdards -were found to be a burden and -he believed that if the district were cut [up there would be more local interest in the campaign.