VITAL ISSUE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26916, 30 October 1948, Page 8

VITAL ISSUE

LAND LEGISLATION

“ ULTIMATE SOCIALISM ” Special to the Daily Times OAMARU, Oct. 29. The submissions by Federated Farmers of New Zealand to the parliamentary select committee set up to report on the Land Valuation Court Bill were received at a meeting of the North Otago Executive to-day and drew strong comment from Mr W. Malcolm, a member of the executive and a member of the Dominion Council of Federated Farmers.

Mr Malcolm referred to the effects of the land legislation now before the House, stating that giant strides were being made towards the goal of ultimate Socialism. “ Many people might not think that this is any matter for concern,” Mr Malcolm said, “ but measures such as these lead to a vast aggregation of power in the hands of the Government and could only lead to totalitarianism.” Such a state of affairs could only be reached in a country where political morality had been debased and where the public conscience had been dulled, Mr Malcolm continued. There was direct evidence that such a condition had been reached in New Zealand. The present Minister of Lands, Mr Skinner, had pursued a dictatorial policy with fanatical vigour. Farmers, as well as the public, were apt to regard legislation from the point of view of self-interest, Mr Malcolm stated, but no good citizen could afford to disregard the vital issues at stake. Mr A. McMillan, chairman, said he had had several telegrams during the week on the question, and he had advised the Dominion Council that it should discuss the whole question, and failing this, the chairmen of the provincial councils should form a delegation and approach the Minister and discuss the question before the Bill went through the House., Mr W. Doig moved that a telegram should be sent to the Dominion Coun-' cil pledging the strongest support of the organisation to any action taken by the council opposing the Land Valuation Court Bill. The motion was carried.