FARMERS AND FEDERATION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 33, 18 December 1945, Page 4

FARMERS AND FEDERATION

Sir —The most dangerous, portion of the Federation set up which is being sold, by Messrs Walshe and Perry by a process of liigh pressure salesmanship, are the Produce Sections a point which Mr Walshe has so far evaded; discussing. He sells unity but he knows full well that what he has to sell is the opposite. He argues that in the pas,t we have hacl too many bodies representing the. farmers } so lie suggests setting up an organisation composed of a Main Body surrounded by Produce which are in fact separate autonomous bodies with full rights to act # on their own (Rule Federated Farmers). How can that create one voice for the farmers? He does not suggest to do away'with Statur tory Bodies; he cannot! And dare not! Nor does he tell the farmers that none of the existing farmers' marketing organisations are coming in, they cannot and they have stated that they are not. The ultimate result must be merely the creation of a further set of unnecessary bodies. The existing Boards can be made to do all that the Produce Section can do t that is f if they do not do it now! The Farmers Cooperatives and other farmers' concerns such as the Market Fruit Growers and Poultry Keepers organisations do a great job of work. I cannot sec how any thinking farrilr er can have anything to do with the Federation so long as the ProduceSections are in their present form. It is a trap. Be warned. We the Auckland Farmers' Union stand for one Union, speaking with one non-party political, and democratically based on the members; we have always done so. Messrs Walshe,and Perry and the Provincial Council of Federated farmers say they do ? but in do not. Yours etc. ( R. W: DUNNING.