LIVELY MEETING

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

LIVELY MEETING

HOSTILE FAEMERS MINISTER HECKLED MR. LEE MARTIN'S ADDRESS [by telegraph OWN correspondent] HAMILTON, Thurdsay A noisy meeting, with an audience of about 70 that was definitely hostile but well-behaved, awaited the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, at Te Papa to-night. Questions indicated tho hostility of the audience, only one sympathetic query being put to the Minister. Frequent interjections and heckling interrupted the Minister's address. A constable on duty at the hall had occasion to speak to one or two or the interjectors. A lull followed, but the interruptions were renewed later. The meeting was comprised almost entirely of farmers. The meeting showed itself particularly resentful of the guaranteed price, Socialism and the social security scheme, and displayed its feelings from the outset. Mr. C. Wise presided. Socialism Defined The Labour Party's idea of Socialism was defined by the Minister. He said it was untrue that the Labour Government was going to socialise the whole of New Zealand. It all depended on what was expressed by the word socialise. New Zealand had gone a long way toward Socialism before the Labour Party came into power. There was no truth in the statement that the Labour Government was going to confiscate the people's savings, interfere with the rights of inheritance or the rights of freehold, he continued. A Voice: What did Mr. Langstono say ? Mr. Lee Martin: Mr. Langstone has given the freehold to 1082 persons. What he said was that as far as Crown land was concerned, he would not grant the freehold, and I agree with him. Continuing, the Minister said that the Labour Party view was that what the State could do best it should do, and what the individual could do best he should do. Party's Objective In reply to a question, Mr. Lee Martin said that the socialisation of tho means of production, distribution and exchange was not on the Labour Party's platform, but was one of the party's objectives, but there was nothing in that. The objective could only be achieved by the will of the people. The Government had no intention of socialising the land until the people wanted it. The moment a Government went beyond what the people wanted it would meet trouble. The Labour Government had never passed one measure which would assist in the socialisation of the land. The legislation was there. It was placed there by someone else. The Minister added that nothing would be undertaken that was not on the platform announced by the Prime Minister. Stability for Farmer Discussing the guaranteed price, he said that the Government had lived up to its promise and had given the farmer stability and enjoyment of a decent standard of living. He knew that tho average farmer was satisfied with the present price. A Voice: No, he is not. In answer to a question, the speaker said that if any Waikato farmer wanted labour, the speaker would undertake to find a man for him, and if the man was not a good one the Government would give the farmer assistance to enable him to be trained. No-coijfldence Motions

A vote of 110 confidence in the Minister was moved by a member of the audience, who said that the Government itself had shown no confidence in him because it had appointed another Minister as Minister of Marketing.

The Minister explained that . the speaker did not understand the position, as marketing was always dealt with by somebody other than the Minister of Agriculture. A niotion of no confidence in the Government was then proposed. Before it was seconded a speaker said that, while he had been one of the Minister's critics, he wanted to he fair and say that the Government had done good work with regard to the eradication of ragwort. He then moved a vote of thanks. It was not put to the meeting, but carried by applause.

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES NATIONAL PARTY LEAFLET SECRECY ALLEGATION DENIED [BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION'] TIMARU, Thursday Addressing an election meeting tonight, Mr. C. L. Carr, M.P., Labour candidate for Timaru, produced a leaflet which he asserted was to be issued by the National Party to members of friendly societies on the eve of tlfe election, when there would be no opportunity to counter the misrepresentations it contained. He dev.ptod most of his address to reading a Labour pamphlet explaining the social security scheme. A statement was made later to-night by the president of the Timaru branch of the National Party that there was no secrecy about the leaflets, 800 having been posted this morning to friendly society members, and the balance would be posted to-morrow. Mr. Carr also said during the address that at a meeting of Timaru shareholders in the Whakatane Paper Mills Company a statement was made that if Labour was returned it would not be long before they took over all industries without compensation. This the speaker denied, stating that no Government had been fairer to industry in the way of compensation than Labour.