FARMERS AND MR SCRIMGEOUR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 291, 9 December 1939, Page 8

FARMERS AND MR SCRIMGEOUR

LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER WHAT TOOK PLACE AT THE FARMERS’ CONFERENCE GOVERNMENT ASKED TO DEFINE ITS ATTITI DE A reply to a broadcast by Mr. C. G. Scrimgeour. made on Sunday. December 3, has been made by the president of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, Mr. W. W. Mulholland, in a letter to the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage ). "On Sunday last, Mr. C. G. Scrimgeour. Controller of Commercial Broadcasting, read from the Standard (the official organ of the Labour Party), the following statements: — "At the recent Dominion conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Union detailed plans for sabotaging the production of the Dominion were discussed in committee for two days and were defeated by a small majority only. “Here are the plans which were submitted to the conference: That the farmers do not put the bulls with the cows or the rams with the ewes. That they turn the cream down the drains. That they refrain from going on. for at least a fortnight. That they use transport as little as possible and not pay for it. That they buy as little stores as possible and not pay the storekeepers. That they use no subsidised labour and refuse to co-operate with the Government in any way. That they boycott the centennial. That thev picket the dairy factories and‘the petrol distributing stations. “The headquarters of the Farmers Union, while issuing apparently friendly pronouncements, has stirred up an.l is keeping alive a spirit of strong opposition.” "I did not consider it necessary to take any notice of the Standards article, but I must take strong exception to the official head of a Government Department repeating these incorrect and misleading statements over the air in a Dominion-wide hookup through a State utility which is the direct responsibility of a Ministei. "The Dominion conference referred to in the article (a copy of which is enclosed herewith), took place tn July Gong before war appeareo to be imminent!, but this fact was suppressed and the inference deliberately given was that the conference had occurred since war broke out. “As chairman of the conference tn question, I can inform you that no resolution embodying the 'detailed plans" referred to in the article was discussed by that conference, Yet this alleged action of the union was described as "sabotage" of the Government's war effort although th- Controller of Commercial Broadcasting must have known that the conference took place in July. , t „ "This statement by the head of a State Department and th' circumstances surrounding its making, suggests to the public of Now Zealand that >t was made with the autho: y and approval of the Government "On behalf of the Nov Z“alanu Farmers' Union I formally ass you definitely to dissociate : °)’r Go ' e ™‘ ment from this action and th".-e un true statements. I further a-k you to instruct the officer concerned to retract completely without fua.t. comment, the statements and ir.erences complained of. and to make th. t retraction with an approp.iu.e apology next Sun ay et ig at same hour and over the same • at ’ n ~ as last week. and. finally. I ask the. vou cause the Controller Io cease such unseemly conduct as he indulged in last Sunday evening for sush action is either deliberate or reckless goa ing of the more restive e among attacked.