12 POINTS DISCUSSED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25346, 30 October 1945, Page 6

12 POINTS DISCUSSED

EUROPE STILL IN CHAOS SEEKING A SETTLEMENT ! Recti. (3 30 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 20 There is nothing in President Truman's creed fo which British policy cannot whole-heartedly subscribe, savs tlie Times in nn editorial. However, the difficulties in international affairs arc all concerned with the application rather than the enunciation of principles and the most sanguine observers will hardly maintain that all Mr Truman's 12 principles are applicable today with ef|ual completeness to a Europe that has not yet emerged from chaos. The Russians might well maintain that some of the 12 must in application conflict with others—the preservation of security, for instance, with the ri";ht of self-determination _as it is understood in the west. It is of first importance that the Russian case should be understood soberly and appraised. If the debate can be brought back to the plane of reasonable argument it should be possible to work out <i settlement meeting both the Allied demand for real eventual autonomy for small nations and the Russian claim to guarantees of security. The Daily Telegraph's Moscow correspondent savs all Moscow newspapers published Mr Truman's 12 points verbatim, but though the speech created lively interest there was no press comment. THE COUNTRY QUOTA RURAL ELECTORS PROTEST Direct action by farmers in the event of the Government's abolishing the country quota was favoured at several meetings of rural electors in the Auckland Province yesterday. A gathering of about 300 rural electors at Wellsford carried, with only about five dissentients, a resolution urging that, in the event of all constitutional means failing to prevent the Government from making law the Electoral Laws Amendment Bill, the action committee of the*"New- Zealand Federated Farmers should implement direct action. A similar resolution gained the support of 300 electors from Warkworth, Matakana, Kaipara Flats, Puhoi and Glorit, who met at Warkworth. There were seven votes against the resolution.

A telegram urging that a plebiscite of the people be taken on the country quota provisions of the Electoral Amendment Bill was sent to the Prime Minister, Mr Eraser, yesterday by the chairman of the Waitemata County Council. Mr H. T. Gibson, on behalf of the county. He said that the passing of the bill by a narrow Parliamentary majority would indicate not only extremely undemocratic action, but also, in "view of the obvious reasons inspiring the bill and its fnr-reacliing results, would justify the gravest suspicion of "political jugglery."

FARMEBS* UNION VIEWS APPEAL TO OTHER SECTIONS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Monday A decision to enlist the co-operation of other sections of the community to oppose the Electoral Amendment Bill now before Parliament was made at a meeting of the emergency committee of the Dominion executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union today. A statement issued after the meeting said the union's views would be presented to the community so that the public could realise the merits of the rural case. -Grave indignation had been expressed at the meeting at the evasive way in which Ministers, especially those leading the House, had dealt with the question, completely misleading the country, Mr Nash had even told a deputation from the Farmers' Union conference in July that no decision had been made by tlio Government on tlio question, said the statement. How could that statement be reconciled with the decision tfo abolish the quota atid also to bring in adult franchise in place of the population basis of representation?

It was felt that all rural and associated interests should co-operate in an endeavour to prevent their established rights being taken from them. The action of the Government was described as prostituting the forms of democracy in an endeavour to gain political advantage for itself, with no corresponding advantage to the nation. The matter will he further discussed at a meeting of the council of the Farmers' Federation tomorrow and again, it is expected, when the full conference of the federation is held on Wednesday.

FEDERATED FARMERS AUCKLAND PROVINCE (0 C -> PUKE K Oil E, Monday At a mooting of representatives of tlio Auckland Fanners' Union, Sheepowners' Federation, Dairy Producers' Association and Commercial Gardeners, the four contracting bodies to Federated Farmers of New Zealand, convened t>V the Auckland Farmers' Union at tho request of the Dominion council, the organisation of the Auckland Province was exhaustively studied, discussion hinging mainly on the position of Si, i/l to prov ' ilK '° of the federation. Jhe following resolution was finallv passed by eon.sont of all organisations represented: "That a provisional provincial executive of Federated Farmers of New Zealand he set up covering tho area recognised as the Auckland province of the Farmers' Union, without prejudice to the position aa affecting the Waikafco area."