FARMER'S WORST ENEMY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22431, 29 May 1936, Page 12

FARMER'S WORST ENEMY

J DISPARAGER OF INDUSTRY I SPIRIT OF HOPE URGED i [BY TELEGRAPII —OWN CORRESPONDENT] HAWERA, Thursday The worst enemy the farmer had today was the farmer who was always disparaging his own industry, and who emphasised the worst features of the rural problem, said Mr. W. A. Sheat, in his presidential address at the annual conference of the Sottth Taranaki branch of the Farmers' Union today. Such men, he said, were largely responsible for creating throughout the country a psychology favourable to depriving the farmers of their rights of self-government. "If that attitude is allowed free rein," Mr. Sheat added, "it will produce an atmosphcro favourable to the complete separation of farmers from tho control of their own business. It is for these reasons that I suggest for tho future determined efforts to restore among tho rank and filo of the farming community a spirit of hope for tho future of confidence in tho industry; and, above all, in the capacity of tho farmers of New Zealand, given a reasonable opportunity to work out their own salvation, to make a success of co-operative management and to play what must always lie the major part in the development of New Zealand." Mr. W. J. Poison, M.P., who was present, endorsod Mr. Sheat's sentiments. He said the union had always been political, and was founded 011 politics. It had always demanded freedom to control its affairs, freedom of co-operative organisation, freedom of contract and freedom of freehold occupation of tho land. During his tour ho had found that farmers expressed the same ideas in all parts of tho Dominion.