N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue 9309, 6 March 1907, Page 5

N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

i LAND NATIONALISATION.

rgy Captain C. A. Young.)

When in 1900 the Farmers 5 Union waß established by Sit A. GlaSe,, of Hokianga, it was belioved that an organisation, hadi been called into being which in time would become a counter-poise in politics to the ever-growing influence of the Tradee

i ever-growing influence of the Tradee Unions. Years have passed amd? uafortunn/tely for the colony, this expectation has ■ not been realised . This- is to be regretted because, idealists notwithstanding, the natural law of things has established the well defined fact that there must be an antidote to every poison, a. cure for every ailment, and a countefr-balance to every political and social power. This is the natural law of reaction under wihioh we exist. In other words, punishment is molde to fit the-canime.

Evidently the Trades Unions conitin/ue an influence for tfhe common good, otheir"wise they would cease to be powerful ; but so soon as "tihey go beyond their purpose and indulge in' political excesses which will disturb the general law, so soon will some other force come into existence as the necessary countear-poise. These be tnuisms,, but they wall bear repetition.

To descend from generalities to realities : If the Farmers' Union was really required it would by <t<his time have be^ come a power in . the State, instead of being, as it is, divided by the conflicting .interests of its members. It -has- evenbean whispered tihat is is already a useless and effete organisation, but this is only because it has not yet found its sphere of usefulness.' The «en*rall controlling power is accused of temporising, of aitting on the fence, afraid' of offending the political 'powers .that^ be. : - , • In point of lact the Union was- bora before its. lame. ' Farming intereste have been so taoxotive, -. and everybody is so well off in these good times, that the present necessity for protection which union gives is- not seen. Howeveir, the necesr sairy organisation is there, and (recently there have been signs tthat it is quickening into Safe, and' this, has been, because ■ the sluggish and 1 inert body has been hurt in a sensitive part. It does not yet see that had ait Been alert and active wihen it was. first called into being no one would have had/ .the temerity to threaten it now!

The Tradies Unions have now gone out of their province of protecting their own interests and contributing to the general good, and in calling upon the Government to nationalise the land of the colony have trodden upon' and hurt the hitherto sluggish and inert body of farmers, who feel themselves injured when the Government obeys the mandate of the Trades Unions and endeavors to force a law through theLegislature the effect of which, will be to refuse the farmers the right to acquire the freehold of the lands-they have wasted their lives in. cultivating and bringing into profit. Tho farmers as3ert that they have made tho colony for the working man, which is true, but the farmer will have to back up bis opinion with more than assertion ;he will have to act— and this is just what he has not been doing so far; he has been playing. At the numerous and enthusiastic meetings Tiecently held all over the country stress wag laid! on the argument that the New Zealand farmers left the Old Country because the, conditions of land tenure there werte uot satisfactory to them, and so they came out to the colony to make a home lor themselves and their families on fopeehold land. Thisi is, of course., a most laudable sentiment, which, makes for patriotran and all the qualities which build up an independent nation. It would seem these gentlemen were in learnest in what they said. The shoe had pinched them. Out of the full heart the mouth, spake. But unless I am very much, mistaken a few j of the most earnest speakers I bad proi viously heard in their own localities — be- i fore the time of the Government land j Dill— expatiating on the blessing* of social- j ism Now, my* friends, socialism is a blessed dream of everything being held in common with tihe State as universal provider — an Elysium of contentment in which tho lion lies down with, the lamb, the millennium in fact— a country in which we should all like to arrive* if we., could but sde it in the vista of time. Li- that happy time the land will be nationalised, and it will consequently be no place for tihe freehold farmer. , ' f I have the objects, platform, and rules of the New Zealand Farmers* 'Union before me as I write These are pretty comprehensive, and cover the general interests of the farmers. Indeed, some people will no doubt think they, too, rather go out of their province- to interfere with th© in- , torests of other people. But the weak spot ' in the association is that there is no definite obligatory rule under which each and every member must pledge him or herself to vote for the capable Parliamentary candidate who -will subscribe to p and pledge himself ' tp -fight for and. support the platform of the Harmera' Union. That would be business; all else is play. The objects may be indefinite and - embrace every matter wibich diroetly affects*- the farmer, but the platform must.be definite and explicit, and. i&ia planks sHould beaconfined, to such, agricultural matters as* appeal or should appeal to. each, individual member. Political, dMenences- of osnion should be made subservient "to theyplatform of the Union, and the Union should stand or fall on its platform. There can be no useful purpose acMevecP-no , use, in fact, for the Union to continue in existence — unless its policy is well defined and supported by the united strength of the. Union. *If the Government supporters in the Union cannot sco their way to support the platform of the Union out and out, it would be better for the freeholders to break away and form a Freehold Farmers' Union. Until farmers are content to be freeholder* first and politicians second, there can clearly be no adhesion in the so-called Farmers' Union. Recently it was reported the L^ntrai Advisory Council of tho Union wtare organising a system under which agents are to reply to the Minister in charge of the Government Land Bill "after he has addressed meetings in different localities. Would it not be advisable in addition to this arrangement U- let him have his answer by an adverse vote at each) meeting ho addresses? The late Premier is credited with the statement that to give a "<ie half an hour's start it cannot be overtaken. Many of us will sadly admit the truth, of this. • , If the farmers really desire the optional freehold tenure under which to hold tneir

lands they must stand shoulder to shoulder on the question; they must speak out with no uncertain voice

When Governments are too long in offioe their ideas become fossilised, and they are inclined to pass legislation giving themselves fax? much power, which is dangerous to the people ; they are inclined to forget that the members of the Houses of Assembly aie the Parliamentary representatives of the people, and not their masters. Vox populi, vox Doi!