A PLEA FOR FARMERS' CLUBS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 2826, 23 August 1890, Page 6 (Supplement)

A PLEA FOR FARMERS' CLUBS.

Tlir, KKKI) OF ORGANISATION AMONI! FAKMKUS. A WAKKi'A correspondent sends lis the following It seems to mo us if farmers wore blind to their own interests in not supporting such an institution as a farmers' club. As a class they do not stick together and work for tho common good, but they try instead to manage their affairs siiiglo-hamleri and fail; whereas, by combination they would be ■simply irresistible. In this district more, I think, than in any other, the great bulk of work in connection with any undertaking falls 0,1 tho .shoulders of two or three, and so with the Farmers' Club, a fow members do all tho work ; and whmi the result is in their favour, others, or the majority of them, arc willing to accept the benefits thus derived without having done anything to deserve, them. Tho impolicy of such a course should by this timo bo apparent enough to them. They have been taxed down to the ground for tho benefit of tho towns, and in tho imposition of this taxation they can hardly be said to have had a voice. They bad representatives certainly ; but thoy have always been iguorod by their representatives, and in the framing of tho tariff regulations I am not awato of a single representative from any farming constituency consulting his constituents as to tho course he should pursuo on that important question, And yet one can hardly blame tho politicians for that. The farmers never taught them to respect them or to consider thoir interests. The inauguration of tho farmers' clubs may likely enough bo the beginning of a now order of things. Though, for my part, until I see the farmers undortro some severe test, I will nover believe that they will make common cause and act together for the general good. This test, will come at the next general election. If they choose to act as they should do, they could put a Froetrada (Ijvernmont in office. The new electoral arnmiremonts have clearly enough given them the whip hand of the towns. The question, therefore, is will they use their advantage with an eye to their own interests ? If they do, they should have one of their own : class in every electorate where they predominate —'ii man who feols and thinks with them, and whose interests are identical with thoir own. It is impossible that a man of this stamp can go wrong on tho main questions. But will thoy pull together so as to command tho services of i such a man ? Probably, in tho majority ' of instances, they will. I have great i confidciico in tho mass of the farmers, particularly in those who have had the 1 advantage of meeting together in thoir club and discussing questions that int.e- ---' rest themselves. This is a kind of cdu- | cation that the farmers as a body need I badly. On the other band, there arc a largo number of settlers who are sc ; incapacitated by distance as to be beyond : the reach of this educating influence; , while there are others who are blind tc ' all such matters —these are the two classes on whom it is hardly safe to rely. 1 In almost every instance they will bt ' found striking out au individual line ol ' their own, influenced by sonic persona motive, or, as often as not, no motive a' all, but blindly obeying tho behests o some interested politician. There is i good doal of work to do for the com parativcly small number of active mei f in every district who help to keep tin f clubs running. The burden is thrown oi 3 them. Their duty is to exert themselve 1 in forming a sound public opinion amonj t tho farmers, so that they may bo able t< - sec clearly tho path in which their dnt; :i lies, and have the independence and th ii good sense to follow that path where r soever it leads.—Tuapeka Times.