FARMERS’ SPLIT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 16, 29 October 1932, Page 7

FARMERS’ SPLIT

THE AUCKLAND SECESSION.

FREE TRADE THE BONE OF CONTENTION, (Special to the “Guardian.”) AUCKLAND, October 28. “There is no ill-feeling over ‘Farming First.’ That is only a peg on which to hang their complaints,” said the secretary of the Auckland provincial branch of the Farmers’ Union (Mr A. E. Robinson) in commenting upon the decision of the executive or tne New Zealand Farmers’ Union.

“The Auckland bodyi has done its best to remain in the union,” he said. “The real hone of contention is the strong free trade attitude of Auckland province versus the protectionist feeling in parts of the South Island, crystallised, probably, by the free trade exhibit which Auckland province transferred to Wellington just as the exhibition opened.” Mr Robinson said that this feeling was of old standing. “Auckland has frequently been told to get out, but has always resisted seceding movements,” he said. “Voting power has been another bone of contention. Auckland, for instance, is represented at the present conference held in Wellington by a maximum of two out of probably an attendance of about' thirty, despite the fact that membership in Auckland is about one-third of tTTe Dominion membership.” _ It was no so much a question or secession as of friendly severance. Although the question of severance had not yet been considered by the provincial executive, he expressed surprise that the committee’s report should have been allowed to get into the newspapers, since it was a rule of the union that all internal affairs were not for open discussion.