FARMERS AND POLITICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20217, 30 March 1929, Page 13

FARMERS AND POLITICS.

POSITION OF MR. POLSON. " That it is nob in the best interests of the union that tho Dominion president should hold the dual position of president of tho union and member of Parliament" —such was a motion by Mr. H. J. Richards at the annual meeting of the Levin branch of the Farmers' Union. The motion was defeated by five votes to four. Mr. Richards based his objection to Mr. W. J. Poison remaining Dominion president of the union while being a member of Parliament on the plank of tho union's platform which distinctly debars party politics. He did not object to Mr. Polson's being in Parliament, but stressed the fact that attempts from Auckland to introduce politics into the union had been fought for years in Wellington, the latter executive recognising that it did not matter whether tho country had a Liberal or Reform leader so long as he carried out the policy of the union. As soon us the president was found taking sides it would cause dissension in tho union, because all shades of thought were embraced within its ranks He was confident in his own opinion that Mr. Poison's election had caused trouble among many members of the union; he knew men who had already resigned their membership, and had almost done so himself.