POINTS OF VIEW

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 59, Issue 4220, 6 December 1939, Page 8

POINTS OF VIEW

MASS MEETINGS Sir, —Your correspondent signing herself Elsie Coverdale, has by her refusal to take full Cognizance of th’ very good advice of Mr J. Wallis, clearly demonstrated the desire of Party Political prejudice to either turn the Farmers’ Union into a puppet of one or the other of the political parties, or, failing this, to divide the Union, as to prevent its growing realisation of its power as a Union of the Primary Producers, united and divorced from Party Politics, to be used in the interests of primary producers, independent of either Labour or National Party politics. Realisation by those represented by your correspondent Elsie Coverdale that a Union so united represented a major difficulty to both existing Party Political machines has apparently revived that delightful little scheme IO swing the Union or bust it. It is but part and parcel of the steck-in-trade answer to representation to join the Union and make it strong that your correspondent puts forward, and it is from such people, outside the Union, or ignorant of the fight the Union has been making for the same principles for over half a century, that such criticism comes, a criticism as well-founded as a refusal to reply to an anonymous correspondent while indicating all and sundry in an official Union capacity, under the title of a “high official of the Union.” If your correspondent wishes to establish her title to be concerned in farmers’ interests why not, if qualified to do so, join the Union and emulate the example of Mr J. Wallis, and adopt the broadminded outlook which has brought him, and ■others like him, into the Union irrespective of party allegiances, to work for the good of the industry as a whole? Are your correspondent and her supporters prepared to accept the direct challenge to them? Union Executive meetings are open to all members, to take part in the discussions."—l am, efc., WALLaCE J. HODGSON.