FARMERS AND THE GOVERNMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 138, 8 December 1945, Page 8

FARMERS AND THE GOVERNMENT

The immediate institution ,of a plan of non-co-operation with the Government as a protest against recent Government legislation, in particular the Electoral Amendment Act, is proposed' by farmers. The plan involves the cancellation of farmers' business with State h-ading concerns, the withdrawal of accounts from the Bank of New

Zealand and the Post Office Savi any future Government loans.

ngs Bank, and refusal to support

Details of the plan were placed before a largely-attended meeting of Wellington business and professional men yesterday.

The setting' up of action committees! in the various districts is part of the! plan, and when the electoral boundaries', are announced it is proposed to call a Dominion conference of the Farmers'j Union to consider political action. '. The undertaking of an educative campaign, which has for its objective a change of national policy, is also con-1 tcmplntcd. :, The proposals briefly arc:— : That fanners who are using the Bank j of New Zealand transfer their accounts; to any other trading bank or financial I concern operating within New Zea-1 land. j: That influence be brought to bear on i the people with whom the farmer does!' business to have their accounts similarly transferred. All farmers' wills to be withdrawn : from the Public Trust Office. Farmers who are insured with the '• State Fire Office to renew their insur- ] ance with one -^f the other companies] (preferably the farmers' own com-!] panics) when the insurance falls due. j j and influence to be used with other j ] people with whom the farmer does . business to do likewise. ■ ] No new business to be taken to the J Government Life Insurance Depart- | ment. j j The aid of the farm women to be 1 enlisted in monitoring the advertising | from the commercial stations, and that j patronage be diverted to alternative . products to those which are advertised ( < on the Government radio. Post Office Savings Banks accounts to be closed by farmers and the deposits . transferred elsewhere. j< Farmers not to support any future j] loans floated by the Government. , That no Ministers or Labour members t of Parliament be invited in future to t officiate at farmers' functions, or rural | locnl body functions. '. . That the Women's Division, or other ' women's organisations, be officially in-'j vitcd to co-operate in all measures; s adopted by the union) and that pro- c vinces be asked to make contact with:f them for this purpose..,, ! r