RURAL PARTY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23884, 11 August 1939, Page 15

RURAL PARTY

. FARMERS’ ATTITUDE OTAGO COUNCIL NOT IN FAVOUR DOMINION EXECUTIVE’S PROBLEM After a lengthy discussion taken in committee yesterday afternoon, the Otago Provincial Council of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union declared itself not in favour of any immediate economic or political action to improve the lot of the farming community. The chairman (Mr R. S. Thompson) moved that the consideration of the council’s position in regard to the formation of a rural political party be taken in committee. Mr A. C. Cameron suggested that the council’s reaction to the proposal at least should be discussed in open meeting. Publicity Given “ It has gone out through the press that the farmers are advocating the formation of a rural political party.” Mr Cameron said, ‘ and we must publicly express an opinion or lodge a protest. You cannot allow one thing to go out and stifle the other.” . Mr Thompson then read the two remits that had been passed at the Dominion Conference, the first instructing the Dominion Executive to draw up a programme of action, either economic or political, to be placed before a special Dominion conference having special consideration to the fixing of the guaranteed price, or the Government’s expressed intention in respect to the findings of the sheep farming commission; and the second proclaiming the conference to be of the opinion that ultimately political action through the medium of a Rural Party would be the effectual means of securing economic justice for the farmer and community in general. Union Not Committed “In Wellington the matter was discussed in committee,” Mr Thompson added, “ and we should follow the conference’s lead and give only the results of the discussion to the press.” The question was whether they were i order in discussing the matter at all, Mr Thompson continued. The union was 'not committed to any direct political or economic action. The executive had been instructed only to bring down a report. They should ask for a report or the findings of the executive so that the council’s delegates could be instructed how to vote, “We should wait and find out what the proposals of the Dominon Executive are, discuss them, and then support or oppose them as we see fit.” he said. Conference’s Difficulty The difficulty the special committee which had considered the matter in Wellington had found in trying to formulate a plan to meet with Do-minion-wide approval was described by Mr F. Waite, who had acted as chairman of the committee The conference had hoped that the provinces would consider th“ matter so that the Dominion Executive might know if there was any action, either economic or political, that might be applied to the Dominion as a whole, he said. It was emphasised bv Mr D. H. Cockburn that the question of political action had been introduced at the Dominion conference purely in discussion and that nothing more than a tentative suggestion was circulated. “ I would say it has not been seriously considered,” he said. Others disagreed with this opinion, and the chairman said that it was as well that Otago’s position should be made clear, . “Mr Mulholland has said that he is not against a rural party, but that definitely the Farmers’ Union should have no connection with it.” Mr Stockrtill said. After a little more discussion, the meeting decided, to discuss the whole matter in committee. The following motion, caried unanimously, was re--1 el S 6CI * ***** “That this executive is of the opinion that any programme of action,* either economic or political, is inadvisable in the meantime, and that the 'Dominion Executive be advised to that effect. NORTH ISLAND FEELING DIRECT ACTION WANTED “Undoubtedly there is a strong feeling in the North Island that the farmers should take more direct action,” Mr A. C. Cameron had said earlier in the meeting. He was amplifying the report on the Dominion Conference by the Otago president (Mr R. S. Thompson), and explaining that there was a strong militant section in the North Island. “I suppose one-third of the time of the conference was devoted to convincing the representatives of that section that it was not practicable for the farming industry to go on strike,” he said. “ The rank and file of the industry would not tolerate anything in the nature of a strike—pouring milk away down the drain and that sort of thing, as was suggested. "When invited to suggest a line of action, one delegate proposed that no farmer should pay his accounts for three months. I told him that in the south, most farmers did not pay their accounts for three months anyway.” A member: Some of them don’t want to pay them at any time.