NEW FARMERS’ UNION FORMED AT CARTERTON

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18785, 14 June 1929, Page 9

NEW FARMERS’ UNION FORMED AT CARTERTON

OBJECTION RAISED TO CONTROL BOARD’S POLICY

Per Press Association. CARTERTON, June 14. A new Farmers’ Union has been formed with the first branch at Carterton by Mr Ben Roberts, chairman of the Parkvale Co-operative Dairy Co., Ltd. The reasons for the new union are stated to be great dissatisfaction with the payment of levies to the produce control boards which it considers do not render services worth the money it costs producers to support them. The changed attitude of the existing Farmers’ Union towards the establishment of agricultural banks and improved methods of marketing produce is taken exception to. The new union also considers its establishment imperative on account of the new British Labour Government forming an Empire Food Purchasing Council for the purchase of products direct from farmers’ a.ssociations and not through the mercantile houses of the Dominion. The new union aims at the acceleration of the acquisition of lands by the State, close settlement, and the obtaining of legislation empowering the issue of legal tender in paper money on the security of leasehold and freehold land, livestock, etc. It aims to obtain statutory authority vesting in a supreme council, to purchase with farmers’ amortization bonds any land, premises, machinery, <*tc. necessary for the production and marketing of primary produce and to fix prices. It also advocates the abolition of all produce control boards.