STATE MARKETING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22421, 18 May 1936, Page 10

STATE MARKETING

ATTACK ON SCHEME

WARNING TO FARMERS MR. W. J. POLSON'S VIEWS FUTURE IN POLITICS [BY TEI.EGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION 1 HASTINGS,, Sunday A warning to the people of New Zealand that they must wake tip and rea- I lise the seriousness of legislative steps being taken by the Government, whose bewildering haste in passing legislation, he said, had been responsible for people not realising what it means, was given by Mr. W J. Poison, M.P., Dominion president of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, speaking at the provincial conference of the Hawke's Bay Farmers' Union at Hastings yesterday. Mr. Poison expressed the view that by next year the Government would have carried out its declared intention of socialising the ownership of land and that at the same time other primary products besides butter-fat would have been brought under the operation of a marketing scheme which put the farmer on even a lower basis than the worker with a minimum wage. Even farmer# did not realise fully the restrictive character of the marketing bill, which absolutely limited their earnings. Mr. Poison complained that the Minister of Finance had absolute control of the Reserve Bank and the marketing pool funds. If a corrupt Finance Minister ever got control —the Hon. W. Nash was not corrupt, he knew, but only an idealist and dreamer —he could become a millionaire in 12 months. Under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act a worker could get as much for his labour as an employer liked to pay, but a fanner could not earn more than the minimum under the guaranteed price. The recent meeting between the Minister and delegates to the dairy conference was farcical, as the delegates were told they could discuss the bill, but could not alter it.

Mr. Poison hotly defended the exchange policy of the late Government and said the policy of the present Government would cause inflation. There was evidence this season that butterfat, left alone, would bring a higher return than under the guaranteed price scheme. The Government's mortgage legislation proposals were a delusion. Mr. Nash's visit to England would be useless, as England, adhering to a longdeclared policy, would refuse to make bilateral agreements. In vigorous terms Mr. Poison defended his taking part in politic* as president of the Farmers' Union, saying the union was created for political reasons and existed for the same reason. He had for the present joined the Opposition to fight against the Government, as he could fight better with a team than alone. He announced he was going to give up the office of Dominion president of the union, as he wanted unrestricted liberty to fight the Government's socialistic legislation. However, he would continue working in the farmers' interests.

UNION AND POLITICS OBJECTIONS IN TARANAKI [by telegraph—own correspondent] NEW "PLYMOUTH, Sunday The position of Mr. W. J. Poison, M.P., as a member of a political party and leader of the Farmers' Union was discussed at a meeting of the Kaponga branch. The president of the branch said there was a good deal of dissatisfaction among, members. It was decided to instruct delegates to the provincial conference to support a remit passed by the Eltham branch urging Mr. Poison to dissociate himself from party politics while he is president of the Farmers' Union.