THE FARMERS' UNION CONFERENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14282, 3 August 1908, Page 4

THE FARMERS' UNION CONFERENCE.

It would probably be too milclh to expect; that the decision which the Farmers' Union Conference adopted last week in anticipation of the approaching general election mil not have a false construction placed upon it. There are a number of people who have ngver been able to disabuse their minds of the impression that the Farmers' Union is an organisation which exists for the purpose of influencing publio opinion flinoqg the fiettiere ngfliugt tiie-:(fawni<

ment. And, by representing it as a combination of political partisans, they have endeavoured, if not to thwart the efforts the Union is making to promote the interests of the fanners, at least to dispute its claim, to be regarded in any sense as a representative body. It '■S of course, absurd to suppose that any organisation of farmers, promoted for the advancement and protection of the interests of the agricultural and' pastoral classes, could avoid tho, discussion of politics. The fact is that politios touch- them at every turn. If they happen to hold Crown leases they are subject to the provisions of the Land Act and they must conform to tho regulations prescribed under the law. Whether Crown tenants or lessees of private land or freeholders, they are equally interested iu the questions of land valuations and land taxation, in the noxious weeds nuisance, in the fiscal question ill the fcncing law, and in various other aspects of legislative activity. And as the farmers in Canterbury have discovered, the arbitration law of the Dominion is a matter of profound interest to them. They are, iu fact, more specially affected by legislation— in other words, by politics-than any other section of the community. While however, it has been impossible for the Farmers' Union to avoid politics, the organisation Ijas never become a political party machine, and there seems to us to bo not the remotest evidence of any tendency on its part to adopt any particular political colour. The resolution which was passed at its conference, whereby it affinned the desire biiity that farmers should record their votes m favour of the candidates i„ thoir respective districts who may be relied upon, irrespective altogether of prty, to support tlio Union's policy is one that should commend-itself to the bulk of the settlers in tho Dominion. I they reside in the . Bay of Plenty electorate they may possibly vote for the Ministerial candidate, who is chairman of the Fanners' Union tor the district, and thus show their concurrence in th 9 decision of the colonial conference; or if they reside m the Tuapeka district they may perchance similarly follow the advice of the conference by voting for the Opposition candidate, who happens to •be the chairman of the Otago Provmcial Union. The Fanners 1 Union owe., allegiance to no political party, but. it holds strong views on many political questions. When it advocates the repeal of the arbitration law it has doubtless been influenced by the fact that section of the workers have S thafc the y respect the arbitration system only so long as they derive any advantage from it and that wlien it ceases to be beneficial to them they are prepared to reject jt and defy it. ' though we should regret to seo lJe P rmci P ,c of industrial arbitration " the auspices of the State abandoned it is impossible to deny that t lrough the attitude of a number of the workers the confidence of the public in the system has to a large extent been Shaken Of the other proposals that were adopted by the conference there ,F ; ,S , non ° of interest than thafc winch affirmed the desirability of extending the freehold option to all trown including those who settlement hmds. I u this the ion merely confirmed the reasonable termination of previous conferences 011 the subieat. '