DAIRY FARMERS’ UNION.

Waipa Post, Volume XVIII, Issue 1008, 19 October 1920, Page 4

DAIRY FARMERS’ UNION.

MEETING AT HAIRINI. ADDRESS BY MR DEMPSTER. •’ 1 ' A highly-important meeting of the dairymen of the district was held at Hairini on Wednesday evening last, under the auspices of the local branch of the ‘New Zlealand Dairy Farmers’ Union. Although ’the attendance was not large owing to the inclement weather, those present returned home with the knowledge that they had spent an interesting evening. Mr C. Parker, president of the Unioh, occupied the chair, and in his opening remarks dealt briefly with •the pending increase in the price of butter. He pointed out that the amount of ignorance or misrepresentation displayed by public opinion (as expressed in the correspondence columns of ,the press) showed the urgent need for a representative organisation of dairymen, whose function it would be to educate public opinion to the facts surrounding the production of butter-fat as carried on under present-day difficulties by the average dairyman. This called for the highest standard of energy, forethought, and endurance to achieve success. Continuing, the chairman said he had a very important disclosure to make in connection with the executive of the Union, which had received an invitation to confer with the Federation of Waterside Workers, and the reply explaining that at a meeting of the executive held in Te Awamutu on 18th September it was decided to communicate with the watersiders with a view to arranging a conference, at which it was hoped,the Dairy Union would be able to show its true position. If Labour was true to its principes it must agree after hearing the Union’s side of the question that the dairymen’s claims were just, on the principle that the labourer was worthy of his hire.. The secretary then read ‘the reply received in answer to the invitation .for a conference, in which it was stated that arrangements would be made for such a meeting. Mr A. E. Fear, organiser, addressed the audience,, explaining that he considered that it was their duty to endeavour to place the position of the Union before prganised labour. Mr Fear said that bis advances had been met with enthusiasm on every hand. It was now recognised that the formation of the Union was a good and necessary movement, and the readiness with which dairymen were joining gave the lie direct to the oft-re-peated prediction that farmers could not organise. Mr Mulheron then spoke, saying that as an old industrial unionist he was sympathetic to Labour,and considered that much good would result from a conference of dairymen and watersiders. The lattfer were important links in the chain along which the country’s produce must pass. “It behoves us,’ said the speaker, “to approach Labour in a spirit of. equality, and not as superior beings, as we are all workers, and honest toil can never disgrace a man.” Mr Mulheron then moved that the meetuig congratulate the executive on the action taken in seeking a conference with Labour. —The motion was carried. • Mr Dempster then addressed the meeting, and dealt, with selection, type, breeding, feeding, and testing of dairy cows. Concerning the Dairy Farmers’ * Union, he advised among other things a persistent pursuit of the open market, and mentioned that America could absorb our annual output of butter by an equal division of |lb per head of her population. Mr Dempster expressed his pleasure in becoming an honorary member of the Dairy .Farmers’ Union. A number of questions were asked and satisfactorily answered. A hearty vote of thanks to the lecturer for his address was carried by acclamation. ’ '• Officials of the Union were busily engaged after the meeting in enrolling new members. The Union has arranged with Mr Dempster to address a meeting of dairyman pn the hall at Pirongia early next month. ,