"POLITICAL CAPITAL"

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

"POLITICAL CAPITAL"

ALLEGATION IN HOUSE

MAN'S LOSS OF FARM

"GENEROUS TREATMENT GIVEN" ! [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Thursday An allegation that political capital had been made out of the petitioner's case for redress was expressed by several members in the House of Representatives to-day, when the Lands Committee of the House returned an unfavourable report on the petition of L. M. Nicklin, of Te Puke. Nicklin had requested an inquiry into the circumstances of the loss of his farm at Putaruru, and for redress. The committee returned a report with no recommendation. Mr. H. G. Dickie (Government — Patea), a member of the committee, said that Nicklin had been the subject of many references in Farming First, and an endeavour had been made to raise a scandal by suggesting that because the man had been an organiser of the Farmers' Union he had been victimised. Comment on Member's Action Mr. A. Harris (Government —Waitemata): "Who publishes that paper? Mr. Dickie: I am not concerned with that. The Minister of Finance, Mr. Coates: The Auckland Farmers' Union. Mr. Dickie said he was sorry one member should go into another member's district and stir up trouble. The petitioner was not a constituent of the member for Bay of Islands, Mr. H. M. Rushworth (Country), but was in the district of the member for Rotorua. Any petition should come through the member for the district. The petitioner had been deluded into the belief that he had been victimised and that had become almost an obsession with him, continued Mr. Dickie. The evidence, however, showed that he was not a practical farmer, but a sawmill hand, and that he was out on poor country at Putaruru. The fact that he had bought a milking machine at £l2O to milk ten cows gave some idea of his practical qualifications. The Lands Department had offered a further grant of £125 if he cared to break in more virgin country. It was considered that the part already broken in should stand its own maintenance. An Unfortunate Case It was an unfortunate case, said Mr. Dickie, of a man of little or no experience being out on very poor land. It was to be regretted that political capital should be made out of it. Mr. C. H. Clinkard (Government — Rotorua) agreed with Mr. Dickie, saying that there had been no occasion for Mr. Rushworth to rope him in on a matter relating to the requirements of one of his own constituents. Mr. Clinkard said he knew Nicklin well. He had been organiser for the Country Party and he had made overtures to Mr. Clinkard to stand for the Country Party. These were declined. Mr. Clinkard said he had given every consideration to Nicklin's case and considered the petitioner had been fairly treated by the department. Mr. T. A. Macpherson. chairman of the Lands Committee, agreed with others that the Lands Department had treated Nicklin very generously. Mr. Macpherson also expressed regret that political capital had been made out of the case.