POLITICAL POLICY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 158, 4 June 1935, Page 6

POLITICAL POLICY.

the FARMERS’ UNION. MR POLSON EXPLAINS. Per Press Association. DUNEDIN, June 3. Sneakin'* at an executive meeting of the Farmers’ Union this afternoon, the Dominion president, Mr \\. J. Poison, elaborated the proposals for reorganising the headquarters staff, which he had already referred to in Christchurch. , . , lie had noticed with some astonishment, he said, that this had been jxssuiiiGcl by some North Island papers to indicate an attempt to break into party politics. What he had discussed, and what had been clearly understood by his hearers, was some means of dealing more effectively and intimately with the domestic politics of the Farmers’ Union, and by that he meant particularly a measure of control which would enable the establishment of young farmers’ clubs, farm accounting, and similar activties to be undertaken and work initiated by headquarters on a uniform plan that would enable the valuable service given in Otago, Southland, and Canterbury to be shared by the rest of the Dominion. The object was to bring the Farmers’ Union into closer touch with individual members so it could provide them with actual as well as political benefits. In regard to the latter term, he referred of course, to farmers’ politics, which were at present being dealt with. The question of entering party politics had not arisen, and as far as he was aware the opinion of the organisation was substantially opposed to any such steps. He thought that farmers generally were aware of his own attitude, which was against the entry of the organisation into the party political field. Criticism and unwarranted interpretation of his remarks were, therefore, difficult to understand.