MINERAL RIGHTS.

Western Star, 4 March 1938, Page 3

MINERAL RIGHTS.

—<s> FARMERS' POSITION. GOVERNMENT CRITICISED. Reference \va s made by the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, M.P., when speaking at Ahikiwi to the position of the former regarding mineral eighty as defined in the recent legislation on the subject. Mr Coates said that in tire first place the Government had said that no royalty would be given for minerals found on private property. A protest at thi s attitude had resulted in a promise of per cent, and the matter had finally been left at 5 per cent. Even at that figure the fanner’ s position was not very definite, and it appeared that this was another instance in which the right of ownership had been sacrificed to the State, the landowner being forced to take whatever was offered him by the Government for any minerals or oils which might be found on hi s property. Dealing with directions in which he said the Government had failed to honour its election pledges, Mr Coates said that one of the planks of the Labour party’s platform had been the removal of the exchange rate within six months of attaining office. When approached on. thi s point the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J.Savage, had said at first that 5 per cent, of the exchange would be removed, then. 2Jj per cent, and finally he had said that only 1 per cent, could be taken off. However, Labour had been in office more than two years and nothing at all had been done. The Government had also undertaken to remove the sale> s tax within the. first six months of its administration, and it was still in. force. Labour had described the 5/- unemployment levy Us the “most abominable thing ever imposed upon the worker,” but so far it had not been removed. “File Government promised that under it s administration New Zealand would have industrial harmony,” continued Mr Coates. “In 1934-35, 12 strikes took place. In 1936-37, under Labour there were 28.”