THE FARMERS' UNION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15613, 20 May 1914, Page 8

THE FARMERS' UNION.

The struggling days of the Farmers' Union are long since, over, and the anxious advice of the .Continuous Government -that: farmers should ', leave organised/ action ;to the city unions who ; thought leasehold good | enough for the agriculturalist, is now j carefully forgotten by( the present j Opposition. The annual provincial conference of ; the (great: settlers' I organisation, which opens ; to-day,- is j not only representative of the most important section of our citizenship, 'but has a recognised standing in the eyes of the community. The prosperity of the Dominion always depended upon the farmer, but until he organised he was of little account before Parliament, and had less influence in his own agrarian : affairs than had a union of\tailors. -The Farmers' Union has altered all that, Ip has not only rallied the ; settlers po a sense of their rights,,but has put them in a position to maintain their rights. The "Leasehold" move-j merit has been killed so completely that even Mr Russell has deserted its standard. ";•■ Mr. . Massey's land laws mark a progressive step in , the History of the Dominion, (arid- were made possible by the support he has received from his fellow-agricultural-ists. ■"'( Immany other ways the Prime Minister haa justified his acceptance of 'the portfolio, of Lands, arid the vfo'rst , criticism we > can make . uponj him is that it is more Aian a pity that ho cannot take ; similar charge 'elf other important departments. The marked - change( in the. attitude of government towards the farmery is, we repeat, (due to the Farmers' UhiorVand ;to the intelligent ' interest taken by many thousands of stalwart settlers in that very great organisation. The manifold subjects to be considered at what is- actually a* parliament of our Auckland agriculturalists, have; 'therefore, a direct bearing .upon the evolution of the( national • life.. Delegates' to the Conference should bear, in mind the fact that their recommendations in-( fluence : a (wide; constituency, and sway national decisions, and that, the. growing power of their union has thus placed ■ grave >* responsibilities upon their shoulders. , Uninfluential men can decide affairs in. a casual and lighthearted ((( manner. ; ( Menwhose resolutions carry weight, have a" duty (to the country. (.;It- should be said (the farmers in the future' us: in the past that thisduty they have never forgotten../ - .