ANOTHER PARTY?

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20784, 19 April 1939, Page 6

ANOTHER PARTY?

POLITICS AND FARMERS PROPOSAL INDORSED j UNSYMPATHETIC GOVERNMENT In view of the gravity of the position facing the primary producers in New Zealand and the apparent impossibility of securing economic Justice by any other means, the annual Waikato sub-provincial conference of the Farmers’ Union, held in Hamilton yesterday, decided by the narrow margin of two votes to adopt a remit submitted by the Huntly West branch that the question of forming a farmers’ political party should be considered. Mr R. H. Fel6st did not consider the union should take up the cudgels on behalf of political parties but, In supporting the remit, he suggested that the union should call a conference of farmers to discuss the scheme. This suggestion was incorporated in the remit. Although a farmers’ party oould not hope to gain the Treasury benches, farmers’ representatives in Parliament would give the primary producers a voice in affairs affecting them, said Mr Feisst. "Time Inopportune* Mr R. G. Young opposed the remit, considering the time was inopportune. There would be no support, he thought, from the public. Mr J. H. Furniss asked If the farmers were receiving the recognition that their economic importance warranted. He thought the answer must be in the negative and would be so until the fanners had their own representatives in Parliament. No support had been received from the Government, which rejected the compensating price as endorsed by the union. Costs were increasing, too. Every request the union had put to the Government had been rejected or side-tracked.

Asked to give his views on the suggestion, Mr Rushworth said he had none.