“TOO STRONG.”

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17385, 23 April 1928, Page 6

“TOO STRONG.”

•) FARMERS’ PAPER’S POLICY. EXTREME EXCEPTION TAKEN. BY TE AWAMUTU BRANCH. Strong exception to the matter in the official organ of the Farmers’ Union was voiced at a meeting of the committee of the Te Awamutu Farmers’ Union on Saturday after-no-on. The secretary' (Mr W. Hodgson* of Ilairini) reported that he had written, protesting against the violence of the articles published, and no doubt a statement in a recent issue of the organ was intended as a reply to him. He (Mr Hodgson) felt very strongly on the matter, as some members of the union -had threatened to resign as a protest. It was only when told that the committee as a whole objected to these articles that these men had changed their minds. In many quarters it was felt that the attitude of the organ was the attitude of the Farmers’ Union, and this was not the case. The paper seemed to bold that no one was entitled to an opinion that did not coincide with its own; that farmers had but little knowledge of the general affairs of life, and were a set of fools. Objectionable Cartoons. The president said that the cartoons in the organ were undoubtedly objectionable, while the paper itself was on a level with a socialistic screechcr. In response to representations the provincial secretary had replied that the .paper was doing good, bringing more members into the union. However, it did not appeal to them or to the dairy farmers of Te Awamutu. It might appeal to the working man who had become a small farmer and was used to such literature in the labour unions, but it did not appeal to them, and he was convinced that it was doing the movement a lot of -harm on account of the extreme way in which its articles were written.

Mr A. Hanna (Te Mawhai) held that the branch should enter a most emphatic protest, as the articles were simply a tirade of abuse, the language employed was not. elevating, and the similes, while they might be desripj.ive, were crude. He moved:—“That this branch is opposed to the attitude of the official organ of the Farmers’ Union, in its invective and the undignified manner of its criticism- of other interests, which, >ve believe, are militating against the best interests of the union; and, moreover, antagonising those interests at a time when co-operation and goodwill are essential to the best interests of the primary producers.” In concluding, Mf Hanna said that the paper, in adopting the course it was doing did not realise, or else w r as indifferent to, the antagonism its articles were creating among the thinking farmers, as well as among people outside farming ranks. They should exercise toleration towards their opponents, which the paper did not. " The secretary seconded the motion. Views Too Advanced. Mr G. S. Clarxe (Te Awamutu) said it was generally agreed that the paper was too advanced in its views. The president said it had been reported that in North Auckland the paper received a good hearing, duo, no doubt, to the fact that many of the settlers up there were “hard up against Mr Butterworth (Te Rore) : And there are plenty of farmers up north of our colour, too. Mr R. W. Simson (Puahue) said there were a number of soldier settlers up north who were “hard up, and no doubt for that reason the paper’s views appealed to them, but the fact remained that the articles were too intolerant. Criticism might be warranted, but the paper did not put it in the right way Mr Hanna remarked that the paper s real objective was to further the interests of the Country Party. Mr Clarke: That is another reason whv so many object to it. The motion .was carried unanimously. -