FARMER'S WORST ENEMY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19029, 1 June 1936, Page 12

FARMER'S WORST ENEMY

PISPARAGER OP INDUSTRY 'JSP'IRIT' OF HOPE URGED :■ The. worst enemy .the farmer has today was .the farmer.who was always disparaging his own industry, and who emphasised the worst features of the, rural prp'blem, said-Mi-. W. A.- Sheat. la*.: his .presidential address at the animal conference of the South Taranaki brunch of the Farmers' Union aMiweraV * Such: ln'en, ne said, were largely responsible for creating throughout the country a psychology favourable, to depriving the farmers of thoir rights' of self-government. :■"■[£ that attitude is allowed free reiny" Mr. Sheat added, "it will produce an atmosphere, favourable to the complete, 'separation of farmers from thecoritrol of their own business. It-is for these reasons-that I-suggest for the future "determined- efforts to restore among the rank and file of the farming community a spirit of hope for the future of confidence in .the. industry; and, above all, in the capacity of.Jtiie farmers of New Zealand, given a 'reasonable opportunity to work -out .tiieir !own salvation, to make a suc-cess-of co-operative management and to' play what must always be the major part in tho development of New Zealand.'/

t'.'Mr. W; J; Poison, M.P., who was present, endorsed Mr." Sheafs sentiments. He said the union had always been political, and was founded on polities'.","lt had always demanded freedom to-control'its affairs, freedom of co-operative organisation, freedom of contract and freeddm of .freehold oeeu'pntion; of the land..' During bis tour hohad found "that farmers expressed the -same, ideas in all parts of the JJpnlimon.