THE FARMER IN POLITICS

Maoriland Worker, Volume 10, Issue 447, 1 October 1919, Page 6

THE FARMER IN POLITICS

The farmer of Maoriland is a good citizen and a useful member of the community as a rule. But he is too conservative. This is due chiefly to two things—lack of proper education and a too easily won prosperity. No one would igrudge the farmer the fruits of ius labor, but to ascribe his present prosperity solely to his own labor would be ridiculous. Yet this is the kind of claim put forward by no less an authority than Sir James Wilson, who seems to be .constitutionally unable to get away from the mid-Victorian ideas instilled into his mind in his youth. He should remember that tho world does not stand still j that what was regarded as true in mid-Victorian days is now seen by any rational being who gives his brains a chanoe to have no real relation to tho eternal verities. The anti-Labor attitude of farmers and the fact that tho small working farmer us too often content to follow the lead of tho big man, are hard to understand. The. farmer has nothing to fear from Labor. His interests ar c the interests of the worker. He himself is a worker, a producer of real wealth. Does ho seek privileg.es or profits denied to other workers Does he regard him-self-in the light of a profit-making capitalist:- 11' not, why does he take an anti-Labor attitude : j If he seeks no more than his own, his right, he will get it from the Labor Party. No one can deny the farmers the right to take part in politics, but if they follow the reactionary advice of Sir James Wilson t;hey will precipitate the very conflict they declare they desire to avoid. Labor

seeks for nothing at tho expense of the farmer, but seeks to reconcile the worker on the land with tho worker in the factory and workshop, whoso interests are naturally identical. The Labor Party's platform and land policy can be endorse I by any farmer having tiie good of his class and the community generally at heart, and the farmers as a class will bo taking a backward step if they definitely ally themselves with a policy of reaction and look upon their fellow-workers of the towns as their enemies. They have been too long content to play the game of the middleman, vested interests and squat-ter-oni, and should now begin to realise that the shortsighted policy that was good enough tor yesterday is quite impossible for to-day, and may lead them into tumble to-morrow if wiser counsels 'flppiot prevail.