FEDERATED FARMERS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 71, Issue 6144, 3 October 1945, Page 5

FEDERATED FARMERS

VIEWS OF A UNION PRESIDENT In view of the widespread interest taken in the federated farmers movement, the following letter written by Mr Wilfred A. Rushton, president of the Southern Thames Valley Sub-pro-vince.' is of local interest:— In the Morrinsviile Star dated 25th September there appeared several extracts from the report submitted by the New Zealand Farmers’ Union (Auckland Province) of its September meeting, wherein Captain H. M. Rushworth charged the Dairy Producers’ Association with making false statements in its propaganda. Before charging anyone with duplicity and deceit Mr Rush worth would do well to explain why his executive had not carried out the instruction given by resolution at the last May conference : “ That the agreement between Federated Faarmers of New Zealand, Inc., and New Zealand Farmers’ Union (Auckland Province), Inc., should be signed, and the common seal of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union (Auckland Province) be affixed.” (This instruction was given three months since.) This is not something which has been forgotten, but has deliberately and intentionally been left undone. Why call a conference if its directions are to go unheeded ?

With reference to the establishment of a separate province of Federated Farmers in Waikato, the opinion expressed by Mr Rushworth and Mr Sexton was that they had no power <to interfere in the setting up of a Waikato branch of Federated Farmers, but their action was not in line with that statement. When, on 20th September, an application for registration of the present Auckland Province as a province of Federated Farmers was made to the Council of Federated Farmers; Wellington, this document in person by one of Aucklanti/S* ififeYffbeVs who made the statement' (On of the Auckland was Auckland’s last 4 Mocking the Waikato brqak-away. *. This statement was made in spite of the fact that Mr Sexton had urged the signatories in Auckland that there was nothing in the document which could in any way prejudice Waikato. Mr Rushworth and Mr Sexton are both excellent gentlemen, but they would do weli to take notice of the Scriptural injunction which says, “ Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.” But perhaps they do not regard the D.P.A. as a brother ’

I have long been of the opinion that certain prominent members of the Auckland Executive have used all their influence to prevent Federated Farmers coming into being, while at the same time they have c.aimed to be in favour of one big union; but it’s to be a union with rules framed by them and not by the rank and file. This is instanced by the composition of the coming rules conference. The democratic method would be to organise the whole of New Zealand, including the Auckland Province, into Federated Farmers, and then let the members decide the rules that shall govern them. Under the proposed set-up thousands of producers will be disfranchised because they did not belong to one of the existing bodies prior to 31st June last.

In conclusion, it is my sincere desire that the farmers in the Waikato do not allow’ themselves to be bamboozled any further by people who are more concerned for their personal ambition than they, are about the welfare of the primary producers of the Dominion, but that they will get on with the job of organising the districts whose natural centre is Hamilton, and so lay the foundation of a Waikato of Federated Farmers.