FARMERS OBJECT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21853, 25 October 1945, Page 6

FARMERS OBJECT

DIRECT ACTION TALK MEETING TO BE HELD WANGANUI DISCUSSION (P.A.) WANGANUI, Oct. 25. The Wanganui provincial executive of the Federated Farmers of New Zealand yesterday passed a motion at its monthly meeting suggesting that the Dominion executive should demand that the Governor-General should prorogue Parliament so that proper steps in conformity with British practice could be taken to have the country quota issue, decided by the electors. The meeting expressed the strongest possible objection to the Electoral Amendment Bill now before the House which, in effect, will abolish the country quota. . , Mr. R. O. Montgomerie, a member of the action committee of the Farmers’ Union, goes t» Wellington early next week to put the Wanganui views before that committee. The Wanganui executive also decided that a mass indignation meeting of the producers be held in Wanganui in the near future and that the public be invited to attend. “Direct action will not got us anywhere,” declared Mr. W. S. Glenn, president of the Wanganui executive, “but it would place us in the same class as the waterside worker and the compulsory unionist. “Because wc have been born and bred on the land not one of us would see an animal starve or a cow go unmilked. If we adopted direct action we would lose our legal status. “Those rights, privileges and prerogatives we have had for years tire at stake and must not be given up without a fight, but -it must be done constitutionally.” Lack of Action Criticised Mr Montgomerie criticised the Farmers’ Federation, and the . union before it, with lack of action in this matter. , “Judging by the head office records, the country quota is. something that has happened overnight,” said Mr. Montgomerie, “but it has been looming for months, yet no attempt has been made'- to fight it. Wo have had a few champions in the House to fight our interests, but the business of farming is not understood by the general public and now comes a step to remove the country quota. “If this organisation is not going to fight this measure to the last ditch we might just as well go back to our farms and await the inevitable. It rests with the rank and file of the farming community as to whether our organisation is going to be backed up, or whether they are going to let a few men nut their heads on the chopDing block and then be left in the lurch. “If we are not prepared to fight till the last we might just as well disband the organisation." Mr. Montgomerie added that producers milking for the four main centres could cut off the supply from all but hospitals and children under 10 years of age at verv short notice. The milk could go to the cheese factories and thus help New Zealand’s food exports to countries in need. Nothing would be wasted. A Voice: Do you want to know if the farmers favour direct action? ■ Mr. Montgomerie: If the constitutional method fails what is the next sten we are to take? Mr. Glenn: We have decided to call an indignation meeting and should let it go at that in the meantime. We must take our fences as we come to them.