PLAN TO UNITE FARMERS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21970, 19 December 1936, Page 4

PLAN TO UNITE FARMERS

MOVEMENT BEGUN IN AUCKLAND PROTECTION OF RIGHTS OF PRIMARY PRODUCER (I'RESS ASSOCIATION TELJiUEAiI.) AUCKLAND, December 18. To organise a fight for the rights of the primary producer, a conference of branches of the New Zealand Farmers' Union from surrounding districts will be convened by the Drury branch next month. , , , The president of the branch (Mr W- Draper) said that farmers were looking for a leader to see that they got their fair share of the profits ajr) that the conference was a beginning of a movement to weld producers together. The object was not to form a political party, as the union was not political, but farmers must unite. "We are right; up against it now," he said. "We are being made a choppingblock for the country, and are the laughing stock of the whole of the Dominion." It is proposed to ask several speakers to address the assembly, the only one definitely suggested at present being Sir James Parr. Asked about his attitude to the proposal, Sir James Parr said he was not surprised to hear that farmers were dissatisfied and that such a movement was mooted. As he had stated when he landed from England last month, he was not tajdng any active part in political questions at oresent, and he proposed having three months' holiday. He had not been written to about the proporal as yet. and would have to give the question very serious consideration before committing himself in any way. He was, of course, tremendously interested in the welfare of the primary producer and had fought for his markets at Home during the last three years.