FARMERS’ RIGHT TO ORGANISE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21088, 14 July 1938, Page 9

FARMERS’ RIGHT TO ORGANISE

“Insinuation by Prime Minister” Attitude of Union to Politics I WELLINGTON, July 12. The attitude towards politics of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, especially where the policy of the Government comes into conflict with the avowed objectives of the union, was mentioned at length by Mr W. W. Mulholland in his presidential address to the New Zealand Farmers’ Union today. Mr Mulholland complained strongly of the action of the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hen. M. J. Savage) in "insinuating that the union does not represent the farmers.” “I still hold the opinion,” said Mr Mulholland, “that it is wiser for us to maintain an attitude entirely apart from party interests and to criticise or support such measures as we may feel it desirable to do. But notwithstanding this, I hold that the Farmers’ Union would be entirely failing in its duty to farmers and to the country generally if, having put forward a policy which is almost unanimously supported by the farmers of the Dominion, it did not vigorously champion these principles. The stating of a policy is mere waste of time of the ultimate aim is not getting that policy written into the laws and the economic life of the country, and unless we are firm and even aggressive in pressing for these things which we believe are in the interests of the Dominion, then our existence in futile.

Criticism of Government “I have of necessity been strongly critical of Government proposals which were not in accord with our policy, and I suppose it was inevitable that the Government should resent such criticism and find it easier to criticise the critics than to meet our examination of their measures. This has been the experience of all my predecessors, and I could hardly expect to fare differently. It is surely going too far, however, when the Prime Minister, whose Government has compelled workers in industry to join specific unions without any choice, goes round the country insinuating that the Farmers’ Union does not represent the farmers, and trying to Induce fanners to break away from their organisation. “I am glad to say that all Ministers of the present Government do not take up that attitude. They recognise the farmers’ right to organise as being as Inherent to them as to any other section of the community. Indeed, they avail themselves quite freely of the assistance of our organisation, which has been as freely given as its criticism.”