"FEDERAL UNION"

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 198, 31 December 1941, Page 6

"FEDERAL UNION"

PROPOSALS CRITICISED

Auckland farmers arc by no means convinced that the setting up of a Federal Parliament embracing Great Britain, the United States of America and the rest of the British Empire as a preliminary with the expectation of other nations coming in later, would bring harmony to a war-ridden world. At last meeting of the Auckland Farmers' Union Executive the following remit came forward from the Northern AVairoa branch: "We suggest that the Farmers' Union enquire into Federal Union propaganda, since it appears possible that it may bo disruptive of sovereign rule in the British Commonwealth of Nations." The chairman, Captain Rushworth, vigorously condemned the Federation proposal. "Who," he asked, "is going to control the proposed parliament, in Avhicli the United States Avould have 48 vo.tes. the British Empire 27 and New Zealand 1?" The movement, he continued, Avas a very insidious one. and was fraught Avith great dangci. £-Ie had studied it, and personally would resist it in every possible way. Once we Averc in this federation. nothing but a bloody revolution could ever get us out of it. Yel Ave should have l<» gel out, for lie could never A'isualise New Zoalanders knuckling down permanently under the pn;p<»i-d regime. It AAas unanimously decided to support the remit and send it forward to the Dominion Executive.