FARMERS AND POLITICS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19377, 15 July 1937, Page 11

FARMERS AND POLITICS

NO PARTY APPLICATION OBJECTION TO SOCIALISM l CONFERENCE DISCUSSK)N (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last night. The attitude of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union towards party politics was discussed at the Dominion conference following the address of the president, who suggested as possible alternatives to the union’s present non-party attitude, the formation of a farmers’ party or affiliation with the National Party. Mr. H. O. Mellsop, Auckland, said he believed the union should keep apart from party politics and reserve the right to approve or criticise the individual measures put forward by any party. He moved “That it should be a plank in the union’s platform that no part should be taken in party politics.”

In seconding the motion, Mr. A. E. Robinson, of Auckland, said the union had always reserved the right to criticise or to give whole-hearted support to any measure brought down by any party. .

Mr. W. J. Poison said that the present rule adequately met the sitaation.

Mr. W. A. Sheat, of South Taranaki, a farmer Labour candidate, said Mr. Mellsop’s motion was in direct conflict with the first clause of plank I in the union’s proposed platform. The clause was: “The Farmers’ Union is opposed to State ownership and control of means of production, distribution and exchange.” “That,” said Mr. Sheat, “was in direct opposition to the policy of the present Government.”

State-Controlled Services

Mr. Mulholland said the fact that the union’s platform conflicted on some points with the policy of the Government would not make the union a political organisation. Mr. R. H. Feisst, of Cambridge,supported the president’s view that a difference on isolated points with the policy of any party did not make the union opposed to that party. The discussion was adjourned and the following committee was appointed to go into the question of the union’s attitude to party politics and' report to the conference to-morrow: Messrs. H. O. Mellsop, W. J. Poison, L. Hammond and E. H. Murney. The conference then proceeded M discuss the platform printed in the agenda. Mr. Mellsop moved the adoption of plank I which stated that the union was opposed to State ownership and control of the means of production, distribution and exchange. The conference went into committee. Later the following decision was announced: “The Farmers’ Union is opposed to State ownership and control of the means, of pro I.talon, distribution and exchange. Nevertheless, it holds that it is desirable t.-f-t the State shov’d operate certain public services, especially whore by their nature they must be of a mon ipolistic character such as. nsiwnys, telegraphs and ele< tricity.”