THE FARMERS’ SPLIT.

Waipa Post, Volume XII, Issue 945, 22 May 1920, Page 5

THE FARMERS’ SPLIT.

THE DAIRYMEN AND THE UNION. / STATEMENT BY MR WYNYARD. THE UNION’S PRESENT POSITION. The following statement in regard to the formation of a Dairy Farmers’ Union was made yesterday by Mr J. G. Wynyard, secretary of the Te Awamutu sub-provincial executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union:— “Mr Fear’s remarks, reported in the Waipa Post of 15th May, viz., that the Farmers’ Union had failed in organising the farmers, is recognised by all, and particularly by those who are intimately concerned, and Mr Fear is well aware of the position,* and the action the Te Awamutu subprovincial executive will take at the forthcoming conference next week in Auckland. We recognise that the payment of subscriptions is the keynote to success, and, taking points from the various workers’ unions, we find the surety for finance is compulsion, and we must apply the rule to our Union. We are going to attend the Conference and fight for two points which we consider are essential to the future successful re-or-ganisation of the Union, viz., that the provincial executive be formed of a representative from each of the subprovinces, and that the chairman be elected from and by the members of the executive; and, secondly, that payment of subscriptions be made by the farmers’ co-operative companies at the rate of for every shareholder; such sum to be deducted from the individual shareholder’s dividend, or charged to his personal account. We consider that with the executive composed of men who are truly representative of the farmers, and with the payment of, say, 40,000, subscriptions assured, we would have such a strong- political Union that would be capable of looking after the interests of all classes of farmers. Then we could have sub-committees to look after the dairymen’s interests, the graziers’ interests, the sheepfarmers’ interests, each working out its special interests, and yet all united in the common cause of farmers’ rights.

Should the two points I mention be Y rejected by the conference, and the Union go along in the same old way to its ruin and /death, then I say by all means let us have our Dairymen’s Union ; but I consider it is liot playing the game when Mr Fear brings forward his proposals at this juncture, when he knows that the future of the Union is in the melting pot and that his action may jeopardise our efforts to put the Farmers’ Union into the position it should occupy in our midst. How does Mr Fear propose to make the Dairymen's Union any greater success than the Farmers’ Union is? It is quite a new Union, and will no doubt be taken up with enthusiasm at first, but will it stand wear any better than the Farmers’ Union has? It will certainly want more than the twenty years’ experience of the Farmers’' Union to make it durable, and when it is established, it can speak for only one section of the farmers, whereas the Farmers’ Union, properly organised and run, can become the mouthpiece of. all the farmers when all or either the interests of the dairymen, graziers, or sheepowners are invaded or threatened. Mr Fear protests that the intention of the Dairymen’s Union is ■ to affiliate with the Farmers’ Union; but if his action at this critical time drives the nails into the Union’s coffin there can be no affiliation.”

RETIRED AGRICULTURALIST’S VIEW. v QUESTION OF COMMANDEER. / The action of the dairy farmers of in forming a dairy farmers’ union has been favourably criticised by a retired farmer at present living at Hamilton. “Although,” he said, speaking to a Waipa Post reporter yesterday, “1 am personally inclined to conservatism, and dislike the breaking of old associations, .1 cannot but see good in the new movement. As an old dairy farmer, and also a wool' man, I must admit that While in “union there is strength,” , the central or subprovincial administration of the N.Z. Farmers’ Union, under the present existing conditions, cannot hope to deal exhaustively with matters separate,” He quoted Various figures, and spoke especially of the cost of production of butterfat, and the vexed question of the commandeer. “It seems to me,” he said, “ that concerted action by farmers engaged in the various branches of the agricultural , profession, with a view to framing complete'and specific synopsis of their own needs and aims, would deter any such action by Britain this year. It seems hardly fair to the farmers to ban the open marke\”

In this connection meetings will he held at various parts of the district, and one will take place at Hairini this evening, when Mr A. E. Fear, one of the prime movers in the movement, and president of the Pirongia Dairy Farmers’ Union, will address the meeting.