Farmers to travel to protest rally

Press, 19 April 1986, Page 2

Farmers to travel to protest rally

North Canterbury rural people will be well represented at the big protest rally in Wellington on April 30, believes the provincial president of Federated Farmers, Mr Michael Murchison. At a meeting yesterday in. Christchurch of the North Canterbury meat and wool council of Federated Farmers, Mr Murchison urged farmers to join a special South Island train which will connect with an earlymorning ferry sailing from Picton to Wellington on April 30. Hundreds of South Island rural people are expected to make the trip to Wellington, either by train or car. The Otago provincce of the federation has organised the special train,

which will leave Dunedin on Tuesday, April 29, at 4.30 p.m. It will depart from Christchurch at 11.45 p.m. and reach Picton at 5 a.m. the next day. The 5.40 a.m. ferry sailing will get farmers to Wellington in plenty of time for the big protest, which will begin with a march on Parliament at 1.30 p.m. The return journey will start at 6.40 p.m. from Wellington, with a scheduled arrival in Christchurch at 4.40 a.m. on May 1. Mr Murchison said the total return fare, train and ferry, would be $73.50 from Christchurch. He said he knew of some farmers who were not able to go offering to pay the fares of others who would like to join the protest but felt they could

not afford the cost of travel. Mr Murchison said that the big Wellington rally, at which thousands of farmers and rural people are expected, would not be the “last word” from protesters if the Government did not act to alleviate the financial distress in rural areas. The rural depression was fast spreading to towns and cities and the Government had to act soon, he said. Anyone interested in travelling on the special train, which is not restricted to farmers, can reserve a place by telephoning the office of North Canterbury Federated Farmers, Christchurch.