FARMERS AND LABOUR.

Southland Times, Issue 22733, 8 November 1935, Page 4

FARMERS AND LABOUR.

To the Editor.

Sir, —I notice another letter in Tuesday’s Times from a Mr Marchant. He certainly has been using a lot of ink lately. This time he concludes by saying—“lt’s no wonder that farmers all over the country are supporting the Labour Party,” etc. He is romancing with a vengance this time. I happen to be one of these farmers with many around me and living in the centre ot the province. Being rather interested in this election I have discussed it with many and have still to meet one who has any time for the Labour policy. No.

Mr Marchant must calm himself for we are not biting. Has the same gentleman read the report of Mr Polson’s speech during the debate in the House? Mr Polson, by the way, is Dominion president of the Farmers’ Union and highly respected by the farmers or he would not be in that position. He gave the Labour Party’s policy a proper dressing down and concluded with the following.—“ All my public life, and certainly all my political life, I have been a farmer’s representative, fighting in the interests of the farming community. I have no axe to grind. I have no interests to serve other than those of the farming people. As a last word I say that it would be the maddest of policies for the farmers to agree for one moment to any of the principles outlined by the Labour Party,” etc. What farmer would have anything to do with a policy which is, as admitted by James Thorn, General Secretary of the Labour Party, to be “formulated and dictated at the annual conference of representatives of the trade unions”? The Farmers’ Union does not interfere with party politics and the trade unions should not either. Can anyone imagine the fanning community being willing to be represented by a political party run by the trade unions? How many of the Labour candidates in the coming election represent the farmers’ interests? Mighty few, if any. Certainly none in Southland. No, Mr Editor, we are having nothing to do with “Socialization of the means of production, distribution and exchange.” No sane farmer would stand for that, and should the Labour Party ever get on to the Treasury benches, it won’t be the farmers who will put them there. I am, etc. CASEY THE COCKEY.