ORGANISING THE FARMERS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1536, 7 August 1901, Page 25

ORGANISING THE FARMERS

Special to the “Times.”

NAPIER, August 1. About fifty Hawke’s Bay farmers, including many of the large runholders, met in the Agricultural and Pastoral Society’s rooms this morning, when Mr A. Glass, the organising secretary of the Farmers’ Union, gave an address in which he urged that the fanners in this district should ih row in fheir alliance with the organisations. In the course of his remarks he said that at the Pahiatua meeting Mr Seddon had declared that he would smash up the Farmers’ Union, but the Premier would be unable to accomplish that, and if he tried to do so he would find that he had the hardest struggle he had ever undertaken. No Government in power could stop them from organising. Although the farmers as a body Avere slow to move, once they got in motion they formed a powerful organisation, whose voice must make itself heard in the affairs of the colony. Mr Glass touched on the Government land for settlement policy, and had the sympathy of the meeting when he stated that tlie union was opposed to the compulsory clause and favoured calling for tenders in any district where owners were desirous of selling and then scheduling the estates accordingly. As a small farmer himself he tendered some advice to the large runholders to follow the example set by Taranaki, \rbere owners leased portions of their estates to small farmers for dairying purposes on half shares, the runholders finding the cows. This paid them much better than merely running stock on their lands, and it greatly fostered the dairying industry. Some discussion ensued on the political aspect of the union, the secretary explaining that the organisation must be political to a certain extent, though they would identify themselves with no political party. If they found that they could not get any consideration from Parliament then they must take steps to see that the farmers' interests were thoroughly protected and support only those candiates who pledged themselves to sppport th« farmers. Objection was raised by Mr J. N. Williams against the endorsement of the principle of the compulsory clause in the Land Act in regard to native land. Mr Williams stated that this would be a bone of contention in Hawke’s Bay, and would act against the success of the union. They were opposed to that clause entirely. The secretary, in explanation, stated that the compulsory clause was not endorsed here. It was thought that if private estates were compulsorily seized, so should native land be. They had got the Premier’s back up at Pahiatua on this point, and Mr Seddon had said that was the plank on which the union would split, but there was no fear of that, as in general fairness it was thought that no objection should be made in regard to native land. All present agreed to join a Hawke’s Bay branch of the union, and to appoint a sub-committee to canvass the country districts for members.