HELP FOR THE FARMER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22071, 29 March 1935, Page 13

HELP FOR THE FARMER

DEFENCE OF THE BILL

LABOUR'S NARROW VIEW CRITICISM BY MINISTER [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Thursday The assertion that the Labour Party had set itself out all alone to hinder the Government's proposals for the rehabilitation of the farmer was made in the House of Representatives tonight by the Minister of . Lands, Hon. E. A. Ransom, when speaking on the third reading of the Rural Mortgagors Final Adjustment Bill. Referring to Mr. Savage's statement that he could sde nothing in the bill to help anyone, Mr. Ransom said that Mr. Savage, with his limited vision, was unable to understand how the Government proposed to help the farmer. The Labour Party could see only one way toward rehabilitation of the farming industry, and that was to give farmers more for their produce than it was worth at world parity prices. Mr. Savage had also said that the only reason for New Zealand to deal with other countries was to get things not produced here, but that type of self-contained policy was a weak one. It had been said that the dairy farmers of New Zealand had more than J doubled their production during the past 10 years, continued Mr. Ransom, but that had happened during a period of good government. (Labour laughter.) He felt he must congratulate the Agriculture Department and other Government departments on the way they had assisted to increase production. The whole problem was due to falling prices for goods overseas and the Government was trying to overcome that by reducing the cost of production. "What is the real attitude of the Labour Party toward the farmer?" asked Mr. Ransom. "It is based wholly on a system of guaranteed prices. When a bill that is going to help the farmer is brought down in the House Labour members all vote against it. If they had the welfare of farmers at heart they would have voted for the second reading of this bill and then have tried to have amendments made in committee. It is a clear indication that they are not prepared to help the struggling farmer, unless they are allowed to do so in their own particular way." AMATEUR TRANSMITTERS CHARGE FOR LICENCES "AMOUNT NOT EXCESSIVE" [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Thursday A suggestion that amateur transmitters' fees should be reduced from 30s to 25s in line with the reduction made to listeners, was advanced by Mr. A. S. Richards (Labour —Roskill) in an urgent question to the PostmasterGeneral, Hon. A. Hamilton, in the House of Representatives to-day. Replying, Mr. Hamilton pointed out that an amateur transmitting licence enabled the holder not only to operate a short-wave transmitting and receiving equipment, but also to obtain reception from ordinary broadcasting stations, for which alone the annual fee was 255. Moreover, an amateur transmitting station involved more inspection and supervision than did ordinary receiving stations. While appreciating the valuable service that might be rendered by amateur transmitters in times of emergency, an aspect to which Mr. Richards had drawn attention, Mr. Hamilton said it was considered the fee of 30s was not excessive.