FARMERS' UNION AND EDUCATION BOARD ELECTIONS.

Southland Times, Issue 17786, 15 July 1916, Page 2

FARMERS' UNION AND EDUCATION BOARD ELECTIONS.

To the Editor. Sir, —The Executive of the Fanners’ Union have taken the rather unusual course of circularising School Committees with a view, as they say, of seeing "what a change of Government would do for them,” and it is very evident, from a perusal of their circular (which now lies before me), that there is no doubt they arc the men; but 1 doubt Very much if the sense of fairness will perish with them, in the first place, they pick out a bracketed remark that appears in the schedule of duties for the Agricultural instructor, and ask School Committees and their owii Union branches to judge the balance of the schedule (some four pages of foolscap) from that one paragraph. I will not burden your columns with a full report of clause 6, in which the paragraph they object to appears In brackets, but I decidedly say that if the Executive of the Union had any sense of fairness, the full clause 6 should have been quoted In their circular. 1 may, however, point out that the Walkaka Valley branch of the Farmers’ Union is reported in the Mataura Ensign as having carried the following resolution:— “That having compared the new schedule of duties with the old, the branch is of opinion that no departure has been made from the old scheme of duties, and the branch regrets that the Executive should ask the branches to step outside of their own province and participate in the School Committees’ duties of electing members of the Education Hoard.” So much for that grievance. Further, they state, “There is now no connection between the Education Board and the Technical Board. Well, as a matter of fact, the Education Board has some four representatives on the Board of Management of the Technical College. Then they go on to complain that the Farmers’ Union is not represented on the Education Board. I may say that many members of the Education Board have a sound knowledge of farming, and two of their number are well known farmers from the backblocks, who have the true interests of the farmer very much at heart, and, if I mistake not, both of them are members of the Fanners' Union, although they certainly object to dance to the piping of the F.xecutive of the Farmers’ I’nion.. If the Executive .of the Farmers’ Union think they are entitled to representatives on the Education Board, 1 might justly ask, Where do the sawmill hands, general labourers, and all the rest of the class Unions corno in. If the Farmers’ Union is anxious to establish experimental plots throughout the country (for the benefit of lads taking to farming, and also for the benefit of farmers), I am with them all the way; but if they, a Union of a class, seek to dominate a Board that Is representative of all classes, then I am against them, and against them strongly.—l am, etc., JOHN J’JNDLAV. July IJ, 19K5.