LAND PROGRAMME

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23150, 23 September 1938, Page 13

LAND PROGRAMME

SECUEITY OF TENURE DEVELOPMENT BY STATE SOCIALISATION DENIED (nr TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] WELLINGTON, Thursday " Our opponents say that we want to take his land from the farmer and socialise it. Our aim to is to put the farmer on the land, not take him off. It is to give him security of tenure," said the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, in his policy speech to-night. " Every man worth bis salt wants to work for himself," Mr. Savago continued. " T have worked for farmers in my time, and they were good men, some of them, but thero is more inducement in working for yourself. What we want to give the farmer is security over a long period. We will not destroy his inheritance. It is no use asking men to go on to the land without security of tenure." The Use of Machinery The Government was uot going simply to send farmers on to the land, said the Prime Minister. The Public Works Department, under Mr. Semple's direction, would prepare the land by the use of modern machinery. The Government meant to take up the task and make a success of it, and when all was ready it would tell the farmer to go in and make a living under conditions of real freedom. After referring to the Government's work in training farmers, Mr. Savage said that it particularly desired to help the man who had spent all his life 011 the land, but was landless. He wanted to be able to say to that man, "You are going on to the land. We will provide you with a farm, stock, accommodation and everything." Aims in Marketing The Crown at present owned very little suitable land, and it would be necessary to purchase land for settlement by farmers' sons, farm labourers and others who needed such an opportunity. No doubt if he said that the Government did not intend to socialise farms it would make no impression 011 Labour's opponents. The primary industries to-dav were firmly established. The Government intended to extend the period of guaranteed prices. It would not force them on the farmer, but Mr. Savage believed that after the experience he had had of the system tbe farmer would prefer to know what lay ahead of him before the dairy season began. After mentioning; that the Government would extend the bilateral trade agreements with overseas countries and that lie was satisfied they could bo extended, Mr. Savage said that the internal marketing system had been cited as an example of Socialism, but its purpose had been by securing co-operation to put private enterprise 011 a better footing than ever.

THE BABY BONUS MR. SAVAGE'S JOKE "ANOTHER LITTLE DARLING" [by TELEGRAPH —OWN correspondent] WELLINGTON. l'hurslay The National Party's plan to help newly-married couples by means of £IOO loans for furniture, reducible by £2O for the first child, £l3O for the second and £SO for the third, was ridiculed by the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, in his speech' to-night. After mentioning that £500,000 worth of additional furniture had been made in the Dominion in the past 12 months because the people wanted it, Mr. Savage referred to the National Party's proposal as a case of "another little darling, and the furniture will be ours." "There will be £IOO for furniture." he said. "£2O off for the first child, and when the whole lot comes it will be all yours. You can't buy furniture cheaper than that" daughter).

WANGANUI ASPIRANT SOX OF FORMER MEMBER [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WANGANUI, Thursday The Opera House was filled to capacity last night when the National Party candidate, Mr. H. C. Veitch, son of the former member for Wanganui, opened his campaign. Mr. Veitch spoke for an hour and a-half and devoted half an hour to answering questions. His address covered such subjects as social security, taxation, compulsory unionism and insulating New Zealand. He said he was attacking the Labour Government, which was on the defensive. He appealed strongly at the end of his speech for support for tho National Party, which, he said, stood for a policy that kept the Government of the country separate from tho government of private business within the country. INDEPENDENT NATIONAL MR. Et B. TAYLOR AT HOKITIKA [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION*] HOKITIKA, Thursday The Independent National candidate for Westland, Mr. E. B. Taylor, addressed electors in the Regent Theatre last night. A large audience gave him a groat recQption, in spite of continual heckling by a small {section of the audience. The address lasted two and a.-half hours, during which the candidate trenchantly attacked the past actions of the Labour Party, stating that the main issue of tho was State Socialism or freedom for private enterprise.

MANIFESTO TO-MORROW [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Thursday In concluding the outline of the Government's policy issued to-day the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, said the Government's election manifesto would be issued on Saturday.