FARMERS DETERMINED

Chronicle (Levin), 4 March 1946, Page 7

FARMERS DETERMINED

Strong Organisation Being Built Up PROGRESS OF DEFENCE FUND • "An organisation whicb. will s embrace all phases of New Zealand's major industry has been the wish of . all primary producers in tfiis Dominion for many years past,'- said the Manawatu provindygd of r&derated Farm- , gp *r. % Ift \WS0r*t, wm$m epa to Tsting- this a*bout. ■ In consequence Federated "Fanners is "an established fact, and th'o changeoyer .from the yaribusy exis'ting farmers* o r g anis altion S— -F armers ' ] uhipn> . Shee&ownsts* Fedef ation andl so , oiv— proceeding. apace," j " • ' ' \ T A - i i i Mr. .McLfeavt'y, who has long been ! I : ii arden!; advoeate of the primary pro- ! ducer's cause, was speuking on the .eve af his departure for Wellington to ittenrl, with delegates from all over Xew Zealand, the conference to appoint ihe Dominion president and other offi •ers of Federated Farmers. ! Kxpluining the new organisation. Mr. j M c Leavey said that in the past the, I dairv farmer had had his own organisa-

tion separate from the sheep farmer , jaiul so 011 riglit throughout all sections; j )f the industry. That set-up, whilej working t'airlv satisfaetorily as far as | anv one particular ■jectioii was con- j j cerned, laeked the singleness of voiee > needed ou issues alfeeting all soetioiis , I equallv, hui Federated Farmors envis-j I aged the hridging of that gap. W.iile ; j it preserved for eaeli seetion the oppor j tnnity to deeide ihe proldeins peeuliar | solelv to that seetion, it also provided i ihe mat'hinery whereby issues afleeting « the indust rv as a wiiole had the liaeking I >f the eutire industry. "It mav lie more than a,. eoineidence." i.Mr. McLenvey conlinued, "that duriug i the transition jieriod, when the tariui ers wore, to use a racing terin, stamlI i ug ti'at-footed, a staggering blow was , dealt tlieni 1 »y the (lovernnient of the eountry by the passing of legishition which aimed to eonsiderably reduco rural representat ion in Parliament. Moreover. t his legislation was liurrieu .throuLfh its various stages and beeamo

; the law of the land in spite of.assur ances from responsible Miuistirs that ' nothing of the sort was conteniplaled. "Naturally farmers slrongly resented tliis in justice, and wero more determi ined than ever to plaee tliemselves 'n n position which wonld enable tliem t" ; defend tliemselves ugainst this aml future prejiuiieial legislation. T liey are uow full'y eoguisant of the falla"y land iuelTeelixeness of merely passing 1 resolulutions, be those resolutioiis ever i so strong, withqut lia'v.iug the ueees- ' pary matefi'al to make it possible ,to j earry those decisions into etl eet. t i ! *' .4 i ! "Eealising tltis defect in their armoui; -"a defence fund has been inauguratod, and the farmers throughout the Dominion are proving their det ermination and sincerity by voluntarily contributing ' to this fund. Our own province, Manawatu, is no eyception, as donations are continually Teaching our provincial oince in Palmerston North." Asked it' Federated Farmers wonld accvpt filoiiavions frmni d'ljdi viduals or (ii'vgjiiiisrilioiis (rtiier than tarmers. A1 r y/hpbavuy replied: . "Yes, most eor tavjl/ly. . •'.Maity doii^fij^fs . have, alEeady beeii 'i feVeiveil: froiii lu'is: lfeijs. Hrofes / sioiplV Atld' othew i-.i rtles. , V-hjSs is, iiot to be' \VojHU''reM' ai' vi heiF it is ' uiidt'rstood that this lmtional iirganisation of farmers is iioii-pollt ii al. Ftirther, it is beroniing more widely and intelligeiit iv appreciated by Ihe great majorily of Xew Zealand's citizens tlmt a contenleO I farmer eomiminity sjiells a eoiitentod and prosp 'I'ous Xew Zeaiand. "Most people will agree," Mr M c Leavey euimhided. that it is ouly !>\ au ever inerea dng ijiiantity of e.\jiort. ■if the .in.st i|iiality taat we mu maia taiu our liigh standard of iivmg."