“PUBLIC ENEMY NO. 3”

Southland Times, Issue 23987, 30 November 1939, Page 4

“PUBLIC ENEMY NO. 3”

REFERENCE TO UNION OR FARMERS COMMENT ON BROADCAST STATEMENTS (United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, November 29. The alleged description of the Farmers’ Union as “public enemy No. 3 in a recent broadcast by the Director of Commercial Broadcasting (Mr L. Ur. Scrimgeour) was the subject of another statement today by Mr A. M. Carpenter, vice-president of the Nortn. Canterbury branch of the union. Mr Carpenter commented that in his publie statement demanding proof that, tie had slandered the farmers Mr Scrimgeour had spoken throughout of the farmers” and not of the Farmers Union. “Mr Scrimgeour is reported, to have said ‘I have never at any time said that the farmer was ‘public enemy No. 3,’” said Mr Carpenter. “I would point out that in his denial and his challenge Mr Scrimgeour makes no reference to the Farmers’ Union, which was the subject of the original broadcast. It is impossible to accept Mr Scrimgeour’s apparent suggestion that the farmer and the Farmers’ Union are different things.” “PLAIN FACTS” Referring to his remarks at the meeting of the executive of the North Canterbury branch last week; Mr Carpenter said he had spoken then as an elected representative of the Farmers’ Union supporting a protest made by the Blenheim branch. “I have been inundated with protests from those I represent asking me what their branch of the union proposes to do,” he said. “The plain facts are these. lam a farmer, one of 30,000 who belong to the Farmers’ Union. In North Canterbury I do try to represent the farmers. I have been impressed by the attitude of the Dominion body and of every branch of the union in their offers of co-operation with the Government in the prosecution of the war, and in response to the. call of Great Britain and of our Prime Minister to increase production. As a farmer I am also proud of the Minister’s commendation of the planting of 60,000 extra acres of wheat this season. Probably 90 per cent, of the farmers responsible for that’ extra production are members of the Farmers’ Union.”

Those 30,000 farmers who were cooperating so loyally with the Government were all members of the Farmers’ Union, Mr Carpenter added. It was impossible to reconcile the statements of the Minister with such statements as Mr Scrimgeour was reported to have made.

Repeating that there could be no differentiation between the farmers and the Farmers’ Union, Mr Carpenter said: “If I were a Catholic and file Catholic Church were assailed I would take it as an affront to me personally.” That this was the attitude of the farmers was shown by the disturbing effect that Mr Scrimgeour’s broadcast had had. It was regrettable, that any disturbing influence should detract in any way from the co-operation of the farmers in increasing production.