The GisBorne Times SATURDAY, MAY 23, 1933. THE FARMERS’ UNION AND POLITICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 12869, 23 May 1936, Page 4

The Gisßorne Times SATURDAY, MAY 23, 1933. THE FARMERS’ UNION AND POLITICS.

There is. plainly, appreciable lack oH unanimity amongst members of the branches of the X.Z. Farmers’ Union on the matter as to whether that organisation should interest itself in national polities. In fact. Mr Poison, the president, has, in- some quarters, got into “licit water” for conducting 'a campaign aimed at awakening the farmers to the need to combat the socialistic legislation that is lining passed by the new Government. Mr Poison has. therefore, decided that it would he much more helpful to the. farmers if ho were to resign the national presidency and continue his campaign than that he should retain its leadership under a stipulation that the organisation should stand aloof from politics altogether. According # to Mr Poison, the N.Z. Farmers’ Union was created for political reasons and, for a similar purpose, it, has remained in existence. Such a broad statement may, of course, not be accepted on every hand. What may be laid down, however, is this: that the organisation was formed to advance the interests of the farmers in every possible way. fn particular, its members anticipated that it would be a great help in securing the righting of any wrongs inflicted upon them, no matter by whom. But only in a restricted sense was the union formed to engage actively in tho political arena, and, under that particular heading, the chief aim of most of its members was, it may bo recalled, that greater facilities should bo afforded the farmers to secure the freehold of their properties. Unquestionably the relationship between the State and the farmer is very different, to-day from what wos the position when tho union was established. All the unions claims in the past were based on the ground that the farmer should he assisted to make a success of his calling, as witness the help that was extended to the movement to create produce boards. True it is that tho farmers in those days were quite ready to accept any concessions awarded them, even at the expense of other sections of the community. But, on the other hand, they showed no desire to have stultified that spirit of rugged self-help for which, as a class, they had become noted here, as in other lands. The position to-day in tho case of many of the small farmers is, however, very different. Beyond question it .is that, during last year’s General Election ' campaign, largo numbers tit them became the easiest of Labor converts. With .open ears they heeded the pica’that Labor, hot, the Nationalists,'' jyoulii prove ; their true political friends. So glittbririg tti them was the promise of a higher price

for., their produce that they were dazzled. It is, indeed, safe to say that not for a moment did the small farm-

ers in question allow themselves to imagine that the guaranteed price scheme would ho found to bo only the forerunner in an elaborate plan the object of which was that tho farmer should .become a State-controlled worker ! To-day, the dairy-farmer, to start with, is going to get a guaranteed price for his produce.- But, in return, he is being required to forfeit tho right to any say as to how, when, or where lii's produce, is to be marketed! Whilst .Mr Poison 'suggests that

members of the Farmers’ "Union should exert themselves politically, it is not indicated that ho holds that they should form themselves into a separate political party. As a matter of fact, tho farmers will soon find that they have not been especially singled out to be victims of a huge socialistic plan. Within the course of the next year or two, it will he abundantly plain to thorn that the whole Dominion has become enmeshed in the toils

cl Socialism, "it is not, therefore, tho position that the farmers have now politically to fight merely for their own economic salvation. They need to hand with all other sections of the people who are about to be robbed of their right to engage in their occupations free from socialistic fetters. Mr Poison is, to-day, conducting almost sin-gle-handed, a campaign to awaken the farmers to the gravity of the national situation. If the N.Z. Farmers’ Union as a body refuses to help him, its anti-Sooialist members should not hesitate to join him openly in the fray. No one can forecast how harmful the new -Government’s legislation may prove to all classes, for even many of its supporters at the polls last year are beginning to fear that wliat they believed would turn out to ho benefits it Labor were placed in power will provo very serious handicaps in the long run.