EMPIRE FREE TRADE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20889, 3 June 1931, Page 10

EMPIRE FREE TRADE.

SIR J. PARR CRITICISED.

OFFER TO ADDRESS MEETING.

STRONG REBUKE TO FARMERS

"BIASSED AND INTOLERANT."

p Fit Oil OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

HAMILTON, Tuesday

The views expressed by Sir James Parr on Empire free trade at a meeting of the Hamilton • Luncheon Club last month met with adverse criticism from members of the Waikato sub-provincial executive of the Farmers' Union. Sir James Panwrote intimating his willingness to address a meeting of farmers in Hamilton. The executive agreed to give Sir James an opportunity of speaking to farmers in Hamilton, but no date has been arranged. Sir James has now written to the secretary of the executive, Mr. W. H. Allen, as follows: " On May 14 I wrote a letter suggesting that I should be invited to address your executive, to clear up misunderstandings. . My letter was couched in friendly and civil terms, but your executive at once adopted an attitude to me neither civil nor friendly. According to a newspaper report .you had a meeting and called in the press, so that you might publicly attack me in an abusive and insulting fashion—surely a peculiar treatment of a guest! " Why docs your executive seem unable to discuss a plain economic and business issuo without heat and vituperation ? Among other personalities, Mr.. Ziman said that Sir James Parr ' was angling to get a small meeting of a few farmers who could not reply ' and I noticed that your speakers were agreed that it would suit your executive much better if I addressed a full conference. I write now to say that I am most anxious to address a full conference, or, better still, a meeting of all the fanners (whether in the Farmers' Union or not) who would care to hear my views. ".Notwithstanding the fact that since tlle.se attacks on me you have not been good enough'to inform me that the executive agreed to heaV nie, : I must say that the attitude of the executive is 50 obviously biassed, and intolerant that I despair of getting at their hands a fair hearing. But. if you will arrange that I shall meet Jhe largest possible body of farmers, with an impartial chairman, I shall be delighted to come. to Hamilton to address them."

" I\S. —I regret being a little-late in answering you but 1 was busy in the Hauraki election, where the farmers appear to have emphatically rejected your executive's views."