FARMER'S UNIGNS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12585, 21 August 1901, Page 3

FARMER'S UNIGNS.

i- to tiis r.v:T2?.. • I Sir, —The fanrers of Cautu-bury owe yo% & ] a debt of gratitude ior your persistent ef- ■« j forts to write down the Union of f&6 '_. farmers of Now Zealand, not certainly by -1 a straightforward attack, but by continu- "' ally insinuating that the Union of fannem ' is for some ulterior object. The promiotea of Fanners' Unions never suggested that farmers should take no interest in the poli- * ' tical questions of the day. / Who has so >• ! large an interest.as the man who is wedded '" | to the soil rln the legislation of ."Ms coun- J> ■» j try? You have no objection to Farmers' j Unions on legitimate lines, but you omit i to state what in your opinion are legitimate ! . | lines for farmers to unite on. Peinaps you ■» j would oblige by drawing up a platform" for a £■ 'Farmers'- Union, that your readers- - may *} : judge for themselves what you. consider . tlio limits beyond which farmers should -. not go, and, in fact, whether you know anything of the question from a farmer's paint of view. lam afraid you have been , devoted fee such a leaigtlieiied period to writing up Trade and. Labour Councils an<s Unions of every name but. farmers that yo\\ are in danger of overlooking the infceres** of the farming community 'altogether, What Farmers' Una one intend to do is support all legislation of a truly beneficii* i character, regardless of party, and I iha\i no doubt will oppose by legitimate means [ legislation, by whomsoever introduced, thai j £; in the judgment of the Union, is prejudi* jpj cial to the e interests of its members. An<s r I would remind you the platform of thfll « New Zealand Farmers' Union is on * liberal lines. Farmers recognise that ttojf $ interest of 'the farm employee and theia J£' own are bound together, and no genuine; \ farm worker is excluded from membership. £_ Are the Unions under the Trades and Labour Council constructed on so liberal a IJtj basis? Will any of these Unions admit" the employer to. their Union meeting? 1 [ rather think not, and that if any Union in '& New Zealand has claim to a Lberal constitution that Union is the New Zealand Farmers' Union.—l am, <'tc, | W. S. MASLIN.