FARMERS AND POLITICS.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 172, 22 July 1924, Page 8

FARMERS AND POLITICS.

WHEN MR. MASSEY'RETURNS. APPEAL TO FARMERS' UNION. (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") WELLINGTON', this day. At the annual conference of the Farmers - Union to-day, the president congratulated the Primp Minister on his Imperialism, and added that Mr. Massey bad done his best for New Zealand according to his lights. Continuing, the president said Mr. Maasey had earned the right to retire, and it was with the effects of that retirement the Union was concerned. "We have seen the rise and wane of many parties, , ' he said, "none of them indentified with the producers' interest, and we may still stand by, or we may imitate our fellow producers elsewhere and declare that the time has come when we should have a party of our own. I belcve I am right in saying that only the influence of Mr. Massey has prevented such a step being taken before this." At a later stage in his address Mr. W. C Poison stated his conviction that there could be no great progress in the Farmers' Union until it took a more active interest in political affairs. Members saw last year how easily the Union's efforts to get legislation for the establishment of an agricultural bank placed on the statute book was foiled, because they had no member of their own to introduce it. Them was a prospect of a tampering with the individualistic system which had given Britain her empire. "We have .succeeded certainly with marketing control."' he concluded. "but we must see to it that the handicaps, taxation, vexatious scocial legislation, shortage of labour, and loss of population through failure to insist on higher production do not rob us of the benefits of these great reforms, and possibly turn them against us. The future is fraught with many dangers. We see every interest organised, and with men in Parliament ready to dfiainpion its cause. We see a steady drift of population townwards, and of wealth also. All over the Empire country men, realising this, are concentrating upon political action. I declare my opinion here, that political action is as necessary to the New Zealand farmer as to any other. What form that action is to take is for you to say. but I am bound to inform you here that none of the plans we have adopted in the past have been of the slightest use."