FARMERS AND POLITICS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16914, 1 April 1929, Page 2

FARMERS AND POLITICS

MR. POLSON'S POSITION AN UNUSUAL OBJECTION "That it is not in tho best interests of tho Union that the Dominion president .should hold the dual position, of president of tho union and member of Parliament "-—such was a motion moved by Mr. H. J. Richards at the annual meeting of tho Levin branch of the Farmers' Union. The motion was defeated by live votes to four. Mr. Richards based his objection to Mr, W. J. Poison remaining Dominion president of the union while being a member of Parliament on the plank of the union's platform which distinctly debars party politics. He did not object to Mr. Poison's being in Parliament, but stressed the fact that attempts from Auckland to introduce politics into the union had been fought for years in Wellington, the latter executive recognising that it did not matter whether the country had a Liberal or Reform leader so long as he carried out the policy of tho union. As soon as the president was found taking sides it would cause dissension in the union, because all shades of thought were embraced within its ranks. Ho was confident in his own opinion that Mr. Poison's oloction had' caused trouble among many members of the union; ho knew men who had already resigned their membership, and ho had almost done so himself.

After further discussion, the motion *was put to the meeting and lost by one vote.

. MjT. Richards said that he had: notexpected tho motion to bo- carried, but, nevertheless, he felt like resigning from the union on that point. They had allowed party polities to come in after fighting against the principle •for years and years. Mr. (rimblott remarked that ho was sorry to hear Mr. Richards speak in that strain, and hoped ho would not sever his connection with the union. The reason the branch had voted tho way they had, was to retain the services of'the bent president in New Zealand.

Mr. W. 11. Bucher pointed] out that tho meeting could not. put the Dominion president out or keep him in. The Provincial and Dominion Conferences had the say. i

Mr. Roe: It will bo the Dominion Conference that will decide whether ho is to lie president or not.