FEDERATED FARMERS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 71, Issue 6136, 14 September 1945, Page 5

FEDERATED FARMERS

Sir, Confusion exists over the attitude of the Farmers’ Uinion (Auckland Province) to Federated Farmers. This attitude is simply that the latter is believed to require considerable democratising and simplifying. Auckland Farmers’ Union has contended for years for one big Union, but has always resented any symptoms of autocracy. Auckland Farmers’ Union includes Waikato, which shares the obligations of the rest of the Union. The Dominion executive of the Farmers’ Union secured “rights and privileges” of membership in the Federated Farmers, as did other organisations by payment of one shilling per member. Mr Mulholland and other Federation officials absolutely denied allegations made at the Dominion Farmers’ Union conference that Auckland was implicated in delays in forming the Federation. Auckland Farmers’ Union conference, however, tied the completion of a merger with Federated Farmers to conditions designed -to better the Federation, and this resulted in the Provisional Council of the Federated Farmers agreeing to hold a Rules Conference—which Auckland delegates succeeded in dating in October in lieu of the proposal to hold it next February. The Provisional Council of Federated Farmers reserved to itself by resolution the initiative in setting up provincial executives and branches and agreed that no change should take place in Auckland until after the Rules Conference. Recent gatherings in Hamilton are therefore quite without authority from Federated Farmers. In the case of Farmers’ Union members, Waikato members of Auckland conference promoted resolutions that the executive await improvements in the Federation. Premature action can only injure efforts to improve the new body. Auckland conference wanted an organisation to speak with one voice, have real unity, and be truly democratic. To rush things is not only contrary to conference decision but against achieving these desirable objectives, without which members who are allegedly pouring into the Federation without complete knowledge of the set-up, wil spill out even more rapidly.—l am, etc., H. M. RUSHWORTH, President, President. N.Z. Farmers’ Union (Auckland Executive).