UNITY OF FARMERS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 18, 20 October 1944, Page 4

UNITY OF FARMERS

Sir —At our branch meeting on September 4 the following resolution was passed unanimously: "That the chairman of the RangitaVki Plains Dairy Co. be asked to call a special meeting of sharemilkers and farm workers together with officials of the New Zealand Farmers' Union and D.P.A. to dis-> cuss ways and means of bringing about complete unity throughout the dairying industry on the. Plains.'*

A copy of this resolution was for.warded to Mr McCracken by our chairman but to date, no reply has been received.

This to our mind, shows a serious state of affairs, as we consider that the trusted leaders of local dairying should be in the front line, leading the farmers.

In view of the resolution fully supporting the D.P.A. which was passed unanimously at the meeting of the East Coast Dairy Association on September 21, does it not seem strange that our local representa-* tive on that Association is still sit-) ting on the fence. We know there are still some., not. entirely disinterested persons who are making it their'business to keep alive the idea that the United Farmers' Federation and Dairy Producers' Association are still pipe dreams. This is far. from the. truth. In fact the U.F.F. is a real live concern and the D.P.A. is registered as an incorporated association of dairy producers.

We can quite understand the. rank and file of. farmers hesitating, in view of many misstatements of fact in the recent past and a lack of leadership at present, but we contend that it is the bounden iliUty of any man who is loolted up io by the dairy producers, (and who on the Plains is respected more in

dairying circles than Mr McCracken and his board of directors?) to do all in his power to get at the truth and give the farmers, who exalted him ? the leadership no other can give.

The time has come when Mr Mo Cracken should declare definitely whether he is in favour of unity within our industry plus co-opera-tive or disorganisation and state, control. There is no third road. Nothing ' in our would go further toward reaching the desired objective than., the proposed special meeting and a definite lead by the chairman of directors of our dairy company. If they are not pre-i pared to consider our proposal the least we are entitled to is a definite refusal and a statement of the grounds for that refusal. Yours etc. 9 Rangitaiki Branch Dairy Association. Wm. I. WALLACE, Hon. Se.c. ('B. Mcßride.' Your letter relative to a recent, court action deals with a matter already settled by the. court of j/ustice though it alleges, further misdemeanours by the de-i fendant. In. fairness to all parties we cannot publish anything which would lead to further incrimination apart from the evidence which was formally presented at the court hearing. The matter-is closed as. ijar as we are concerned. Further rer dress should be sought through pro-« per legal channels. Ed.)