THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 1925. FARMERS AND POLITICS.

Wairarapa Age, 13 March 1925, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 1925. FARMERS AND POLITICS.

The complete wisdom of the Farmers’ Union in keeping politics out of its councils and deliberations is well exemplified by an incident that has just occurred in Otago. The provincial vice-president in that district, a well known Gallipoli soldier, was recently appointed organiser to one of the political parties. This excited the attention of one -of the country branches, and a motien was debated suggesting that it -.wtifl not wise for the Union to allow any of its officials to bold such an office.; The official referred to at onee tendered hi» resignation of the vice-presidency, but it *M not accepted, and the matter has apparently blown oyer. Needless to say, if politics formed any part of the scheme of the Union—if it could be properly described as supporting one or Other of the political parties just because it happened to be Liberal or Reform or Labour—auch an incident would have broken up the organisation. As it is, members of the Union are. perfectly free to vote and think and speak as they like on political matters so long as politics are not dragged into Union affairs. Every branch contains within its folds ardent Reformers, no less ardent LiberalLabour supporters, and possibly also some who believe in the tenets of Mr .Holland. It would he a bad thing for the Union if the lion and the lamb could not thus lie down together within its fold. If there was any political test whatever; the Union would soon totter to its fill, and it would deserve to. The real reason of its existence is the welfare of farmers and farming, tlnd it'will be a bad day for the organisation when questions are asked as to the political views of its members. Politics and religion ars quite irrelevant. It is best to leave to the individual member his entire freedom in such matters.