FARMERS' UNION POLITICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13193, 2 June 1906, Page 4

FARMERS' UNION POLITICS.

' VIGOROUS SPEECH BY THB PRESIDENT. THE FRANCHISE QUESTION. 5 RESORT TO FORCE SPOKEN OF. At ill- Farmers' Union Conference jester. ' day, Mr. C. R Phillips, after being reelected president, made a vigorous speech ! on the political aspect of the union. He 5 said it had been stated that the Farmers' 1 Union should abstain from politics. Thu could not be the advice of a friend, as it : was absolutely nectary that they should • take- an interest in polities, not parly polities, but tanners' politico There was a. ' distinct, lino of demarcation between town and country. Anyon* who said that the 3 Farmers' Union was an Opposition organisation. and whs beittj, used to oust the pie- " sent Government, was saying what was , not. true. They had always put 2 their views pioperlv and clearly l« h • - fore the Government. and had kept J away from party feeling. The ques--1 tion of land tenure would have- to be watchj. cd. They must, stand up manfully, and show the "world that, the farmers of NewZealand were capablc of taking care of themselves. He felt Mire that .some day. when the farmer? controlled the affairs of the colony, the days of the bounder. the schemer, and the parasite would be gone. The speaker went on to refer to the tariff question, repeating the remarks which he passed upon this subjcct the previous .lay. The speaker then referred to the question of adopting the Parliamentary franchise for loan polls and county and road board elections. Upon this question they must pa>* 1 strong resolutions, and inform the Government. that they were strongly opposed to the step, and if it was passed they would " have to considei what,other measures they s would have to take to protect themselves. > If'they could not prevent such a measure " parsing through the House of Representatives, they would have to use their strength f of hand and triteness of spirit to protect \, what they believed to be right. If it ever became law, the farmers would be perfectlyjustified in resorting to force to prevent , it from being carried out. (Applause.) the > farmers were the manhood of the colon), i and surely they were not going to allow ; their manhood to be crushed by Act of i Parliament. (Applause.) He said this, speaking with a full sense of his position. (Applause.) Later on, Mr. Flaniga.ii, of Drurjr branch, : moved: 1 Seeing the. political activity of all the organisttion« in the towns, it is desirable that tanner* should give more attention to politic*. ■ The mover urged that farmers should bo [ up and doing as the trades' unionists a.nd . others in the cities were threatening their existence. While the farmers talked about blackberries and cheep dip, tlioso in the cities were moving in the direction of nationalisation of the land, single tax, protection, and the placing of an export duty on meat and produce. ; Mr. C. Bell seconded the motion. The president moved: That the question of the formation of a m prate fanners' political party-be kepi prominently hefore the union. Mr. Phillips said there were, three questions upon which farmers, no matter which party they favoured, were agreed, and those were the option of the freehold, a revenue tariff, and the restriction of the franchise , for loan polls and the election cf road boards and county councils to ratepayers. The suggestion was (hat the Farmers' Union should support a party (separate from the present potties) bound to these principles. They should oppose any party who wouldnot give them the three things they wanted. Mr. Duxfield seconded the. president's motion. If there was a" separate farmers' political party they would' have a greater" influence in the land. , Considerable discussion ensued, during which it was suggested that committees should be appointed. The Chairman, at this stage, said the elections, wore some distance off yet, and, as his purpose had been served by the discussion, he asked permission to withdraw his resolution in favour of Mr. Flanigan's. Permission to withdraw was given, and Mr. Flanig-an' emotion, was carried. Mr. H. Wily • said he noticed in that morning's llerai.d that the Hon. ,T. McGowan, speaking at a complimentary social to Mr. H. J. Gree.nsla.dc, M.H.R., at Hamilton, stated that an alteration would shortly be made in the local franchise. Every local body, Mr. McGowan said, should have universal franchise. He (the speaker) was strongly opposed to such a step, and he would move: That thin meeting of funnel's strongly protean against the proposal of Hip Government, m announced by tho Hon. .T. McGowan. to extend the local franchise, and pledge* it/self to resist hr every means in its power the threatened attempt to give voting power to non-ratepayers. The motion was carried with acclamation.