MR LANGSTONE'S VISIT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIV, Issue 21064, 16 June 1938, Page 11

MR LANGSTONE'S VISIT

To the Editor ot " The Tlmaru Herald “ Sir.—l have just been reading parts of Mr Langstone's speeches in South Canterbury, and if they were not so tragic they would make contributions to your humour column. Mr Langstone’s attempt to justify what his Government has done for the wheatgrower was a feeble attempt. The proof of the wheatgrowing problem is the fact that large numbers of farmers are giving up growing wheat, because under the present conditions it does not pay to grow it. The Government have absolutely failed to carry out their promises to place the farmer and farm worker on the same footing as other people. The position to-day is that the public works man is getting 18/a day or more for working a lot less hours than the farm worker does for 10/5. The wheatgrower has been sacrificed so that the Government can avoid putting up the price of bread one halfpenny per loaf, but even if they did this it would still leave bread tho cheapest food we have. The policy o| z the Government in attempting to depend on Australia for the wheat we require has nothing to commend it. I%e Government sends thousands of pounds to Australia for wheat, which monies should be kept in New Zealand to help to provide work for our own people. By giving our farmers a lAlle more per bushel all the wheat we require would be grown here. The farmers would have more money to spend and the workers would benefit thereby. This policy of the Government has two very dangerous phases. We all know that Australia is subject to periodical droughts, and if the wheat industry in New Zealand is allowed to lapse, the day will come when with practically no wheat of our own and none to be had from a droughtstricken Australia, New Zealand will be in a very awkward position. I have heard it said, "Oh, we could get wheat

from Canada.” Mr Massey tried that and we know what it cost him—just about twice as much as our farmers are asking. Then there is the position in the event of war. Enemy raiders could easily cut off our supplies from Australia, and leave us in the air. It must be clear to every thinking man that it will be a bad day for New Zealand when she does not grow enough wheat for her needs. The Government are continually saying that New Zealand should be self-supporting with her own industries, and yet in the case of wheat they are deliberately turning down the industry in New Zealand and sending to Australia for wheat that should be grown here. I wonder what is the real reason for this change of front. Mr Langstone says that Mr Hamilton “has costs on the brain.” The obvious reply to this is “thank God we have someone who has brains enough to realise that ‘costs’ of I production are the main item in determining the selling price of anything.” Of course no one who has followed Mr Langstone’s career would be surprised that he is unable to appreciate that fact. Might I suggest to Mr Langstone that instead of amusing himself by calling Mr Hamilton names and trying to ridicule him, he makes an honest attempt to answer some of the solid arguments put up by Mr Hamilton in his last two addresses. Never mind about trying to be funny about “garden parties,” because that only shows how small minded the Government are. The continued reference to the receptions given to Mr Hamilton show how very annoyed Labour is at the way Mr Hamilton has been received right through New Zealand. But. sir, there is one thing about Mr Langstone’s speeches, in fact about all speeches by Ministers lately, and that is their resort to personal abuse. With that type of man, as soon as they find that they are getting the worst of an argument, they resort to abuse, which is no argument. Labour leaders are beginning to see the writing on the wall and are trying to stop the swing of opinion that has set in against them, by abusing their opponents. The political position is beginning to look as if the people of New Zealand have awakened to the fact that if they do not remove this Government, New Zealand will soon be a second Russia or worse and their boasted liberty and freedom of speech will.be a thing of the past.—l am, etc., ELECTOR. Tlmaru, June 14.