FARMERS HOSTILE

Taranaki Daily News, 24 September 1938, Page 9

FARMERS HOSTILE

By Telegraph—Press Association.

ADDRESS BY MINISTER mr. lee martin heckled "no confidence" motions

Hamilton, Last Night. A noisy meeting with an audience of about 70 that was definitely hostile but well-behaved awaited Mr. W. Lee Martin, Minister of Agriculture, at Te Rapa last night. The questions indicated the hostility of the audience, only one sympathetic query being put to the Minister. Frequent interjections and heckling interrupted the Minister's address and the constable on duty at the hall had occasion to speak to one or two interjectors. After a lull the interruptions were renewed. The meeting, comprised almost entirely of farmers, showed itself particularly resentful of the guaranteed price and the social security scheme and displayed its feelings from the outset. 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 meant 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 or interfere with the rights of the inheritance or the rights of freehold, he continued. A voice: What did Mr. Langstone say? Mr. Lee Martin: Mr. Langstone has given freehold to more than 1000 persons. What he said was that as far as Crown land was concerned he would not grant freehold and I agree with him. Will of People Wanted. 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, continued Mr. Lee Martin. Socialisation of the means of production, di*trifeution and exehange was not on the Labour Party's platform but was one of tlie party's objectives. But that objective could only be achieved by the will of the people, and the ^Government had no intention of socialising the land until the people wanted it. The moment the Government went beyond what the people wanted it would meet trouble. The Labour Government had never passed one measure which would assist in socialisation of the land, Mr. Lee Martin continued. Legislation was there but it was placed there by someone else. Nothing would be undertaken that was not on the plaform announced by the Prime Minister. Discussing the guaranteed price the speaker said that the Government had lived up to its promise and had given the farmer stability and a decent standard of living. He knew the 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 he would find a man for him and if the man Was no good the Government would give the farmer assistance to enable him to be trained. Votes of No-Confidence. A vote of no -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. Mr. Lee Martin explained that the speaker did not understand the position as 'marketing was always dealt with by somebody other than the Minister of Agriculture. .. A motion of no-confidence in the Government was then proposed. Before it was seconded the proposer said that while he had been one of the Minister's critics he wanted to T>e fair and say that the Government had done good work with regard to eradication of ragwcrt. He then moved a vote of thanks, which was carried by applause.