THE FARMERS UNION AND THE LAND BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13450, 29 May 1907, Page 5

THE FARMERS UNION AND THE LAND BILL.

Kindly permit me to writs a fiw lines on tea above subject, for' I ihlnV.l can daira_ to do so with a* much aiulwrf*)as Mr. Wily, vice-president though be be-an-honour conferred- on him at "the recent conference very _ much in the* form of;*' solatium. In his very superior way, ,fejassume* the moaitorsbip ot .tW ■, Faim«r»* Union, and refer* to Captain Alien jfeii, -president (for . the t, t «o h*>hisi "** hitherto practically unknown ia'the council.* of the onion," That notwithstanding, and as one who has had excellent' opportunity" of judging, of the labour* and re.v<*e»iv"> merits of both gentlemen, 1 have no nemaion. _»n .saying that Captain Bell ha,* done infinitely more to strengthen and «xten>t th« union than Mr. Wilt.. The former has gained the confidence of most of the farmer* of the VVaikato and surrounding- districts, and.is something atom than a mere .tcurv head. Ho fill* the ch*»rm»n*bip of an important branch, and has at different tune-* held every other.., office -in if, .whemi* tbo latter represents a district, in wJlicr ; -his branch is practically dciunts's. But. sir, it is not _my intention u> breed strife in tbo executive of the union, which, to bo SlicesJul, must have unaiitmur '■'t.hroiig'hoSH i's organisation,■■ and it was "on!* Mr. *\ iiv"-? tactless and uncalled.for references ■ that torced from me tbo iorrgoiiitr personalities tie, in a fit of pique, ha* allowed h<m<-.t>M to go the length of belittling the recent lrovincial Conference, by publicity that it has been used as an agency to advance the political aspiration* of an individual. I hat is surely, much more deroga--tory than the mere disclaiming- of an act which the very nature of things required the leader of the Opposition and hi* force* for its accomplishment. What ar»» .be tacts! The .'Land Bill is suddenly introduced as "a Government measure. "Tins Opposition, unanimously, and a few? iiovorumeiit supporters, conceive an aversion to it from the very inception. A determination is mad© to ■- block it by stonewalling tactics. The opening of the Exhibition necessitates a abort session,ami thus those tactics must steeds succeed. " tho slenderness of the Opposition muster roll '■ not preventing. $;> the position was saved by Mi, Massey and his freehold supporters from both sides', of the House, and, although encouraged 'by the outside action of the Farmer' Union to assert that the Bill was blocked bv that action would bo akin to saying that » football match was won by the applause or the spectators. Will Mi. WUv show by what process the hand of the Government was stayed by the union Would he imply that it. exercised a hypnotic influence over the Ministry, from which : spot! it imtnedia rely aroused with renewed vigour at the close of the session. :• Mr. Wily makes a puerile quibble about tho statement "freehold followers on loth sides of tho House," and suggests (that it is the freehold, and not the Leader o! the Opposition, that they follow. But. he ought to know that the members const..rutins* the Opposition are not followers in the sense ,to which his quibble would give mferimo©. They arc guided by principles, not personalities. Mr. Wily seems to think that to be in tho know, of what the union is; doing a seat on the executive is necessary, but i have had that privilege, and nothing has transpired to my knowledge that the ordinary members have not been acquainted with, either through the medium of the press, or by circular. Ho has, surely, forgotten'the incident of the passing of tbo Fanners' Fire Insurance Act when he says "tho Farmers' Union, for the first lime since its incorporation, exerted its full strength, and used to , tho ; utmost .Wt machinery to imprest- (itself on the public and tho House of Representatives. Ho has a way of begging bis question, and of coo verting minor premises into major, as, lor example, when referring to the resolution anent politics, he assumes that Captain Bell believes in the power of the Opposition to deliver us from undesirable -laws, whereas all that was asserted in his letter was that on the particular occasion of tbo Land Bill being moved last session. "ii was blocked by the attitude of the .Leader of tho Opposition and his freehold followers," a statement' not at all incongruous: with tin. resolution ho seconded; for, although' the platform of tho present Opposition is fen the most part in unison with that of the FanneV*'Union, it may not:bo always so. Mr, Wily makes capital out 61 the fact that not o?s"> of the 30 or '40 members present indicated their dissent. But thai is easily explained. In tho first place, Mr. Wily was the last speaker, and only the mover could reply; and, it shows' tho pre,a gave more importanco to Mr. Wily's remarks than the Conference. In conclusion, I hold thai the union has clone much good work, and ft gradually gaining weight in public opii'- \\- ----- but such trivial jealousies about it* accomplishments are not likely to help it. R. D. DrjxFiKio, Chairman N.8.F.U., and member of Fro vincial Executive.