FARMERS’ UNION AND POLITICS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19182, 27 May 1924, Page 9

FARMERS’ UNION AND POLITICS.

A HOPELESS ORGANISATION. STRAIGHT TALK FROM AN M.P. (From Ou.r Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, May 26. There has been a good deal of advent® comment about the views expressed by certain would-be leaders of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. The matter was referred to by Mr A. D. M'Leod, M.P. for Wairarapa, whose opinions carry very considerable weight both in the farming community and also in Parliament. Speaking to the Martinborough branch of the union, Mr M'Leod stressed the necessity for organisation, but deprecated farmers’ representatives criticising tbo Government as some had recently been donig. Parliament’s difficulty, said Mr M'Leod. was that its members were not convinced that the Farmers’ Union as at present constituted and led accurately represented the farmers’ interest* and needs. One had only to read tha vjews of members of the General Executive and Provincial Executives to see how divergent they were on taxation (as expressed before the Taxation Commission), and _to appreciate how honeless the organisation was. “The Farmers’ Union should b© strong enough,” said Mr M'Leod, “to speak through its executive for the great majority of the farmers. I do not think that state of affairs exists at present, though I don’t blame the farmers. Much of the weakness of the union arises through an apparently determined attempt by certain Auckland representatives of the union to introduce party politics into its ■ deliberations. I listened to Captain Colbeck’s address to farmers at Masterton a week back. It was entirely on party lines and was a direct attack on the Government of the day. _ If this course is to be folllowod you might as well say good-bye to the union, because it will break it into pieces. We have been fairly successful in the past, and that success has been built up entirely on our non-party attitude.’ —(‘‘Hear, hear.’’) The “bone of contention” at present with the Government was, he said, the question ot rural banks. Much might be said m favour of the. establishment of rural credits through agricultural banking, but |as d farmer and a member of Parliament be had yat a lot to learn in the Such statements as that made by Captain Oolbacfc. that there were over £50,000.000 in the Post Office Savings Bank availabje for loan to rural banks, showed how lightly that .gentleman viewed the question._ Did he not know or did he advisedly ignore the fact that, those moneys were invested >n the life-blood of the country in undertakings such as railways and advances for settlement? Captain Colbecfc and others associated with him had not yet convinced Parliament, that they had a proper grasp of the problem .of agricultural banking. “That is one of the chief troubles with tue Farmers’ Union,’’ said Mr M'Leod, in conclusion. “There is a pressing need for it to be organised along lines that will enable it to bring pressure to bear on the Government in regard to the needs of primary industry in which almost 50 per cent, of the .voting power of the country is to be found. Thov should make their wants known to Parliament backed up by the great body of farmers. Then they would have little difficulty in getting reasonable reforms.”—(Applause.)