FARMERS AND POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 206, 25 May 1908, Page 11

FARMERS AND POLITICS.

MORE ACTIVITY WANTED. THE DECISION OF THE AUCKLAND CONFERENCE. (BY IELEGI'.APn.—SrECIAL COIIItKrONDIVNT), 4 , Auckland, May 23. In moving his resolution at' the Farmers' : Uriiori vl'roviricial Conference. that farmers take ;a mora active part in politics, Mr. Si, . Scrub}' C\\ ado) expressed the opinion that the We of, tho Union depended on its political place m the world. lie maintained that the man on tho ..laud should have a largo say in the.laus governing tho. land, especially considering the, important nart tho farmer .■play--' financial; stability .'of. .tho country. Thero-was only one way, it seemed to. him, to, mako ■ tho,. Farmers' Union a thoroughly - livo. organisation,-. arid that. v.'as by choosing their own politicians and putting them into ... v Parliament 7tb 'carry out . their desires irrespective of party. Msnv said they, did'not ■ -i: want : tp,' copy., the . trades jiinions. in this matter.; ./Well; .'why. not? ; The farmers' demands ]- had'al\vayS;heoiViust : and right,-but they'had ■ Jacked -the I>bwe£;to ]carry"therii out.. It ..was ; party;;that-;Stqbd*iriHh6 faririors',' way-in-this' respect. -. ''. CAPTAIN BEL).. , Captain:''Alleiv , Bell,■- who f, seconded the,, 'tnotibn; . said :-the Union'f had 'already lost a groat; deal .through not having taken a;proper. stand, in'the matter. ~' Thqre w ; as not a ■. q«esti6nrthat-camo. bcfore-Fdrliament that :, did :riqt' affect- the' 1 farmer. ' Tho most striking feature .of tho Colonial Conference hold at . iWellihgtoni: to his mind, was . tho pitiable. . difteroiice ; of - opinion among the delegates on some .subjects of vital interest: to the farming community, fthis being-, more , noticeable durinp;. tllo discussion on tho political , aspect, of; the : Union. The executive far: as. this province is-concerned the position has now become arid it will be your duty •• this ]c6hforqnce to]; reconsider the.' position and idecido. what* steps to ..take to alter the . present, conditions.;- I'our executive are convinced .that as long as our Union continues vto .adopt; its present spineless atti- ■■ tudo: it will.be unablo to fulfil that function which its .members have an undoubted right to oxpect-7-that of making its.nower felt on the Government of-the country"" - • Mr. ,B. D. Duxficld, in supporting the resolution, referred to the inadequate re'pre-. ; Dentation pf- farmers in Parliament at some length; As tho House was constituted-'at present, it. was incapable of dealing with ; certain measures of the day. ' . Mr. G. J., Garland heartily, endorsed' the ; taotion: v From £ w'hat he' had . learned from . .farmers ..throughout tho district, the. feeling prevailed'.,] that Vthey must- take up , some Bland in politics. ' ■" , '- v i ■■"■■' ■•'.- - r .OPPONENT OF THE MOTION. . Mr./,J.v-Boddio-asked 111 what way they , could :tako a' more'active part than they had done) unless'tho Union threw in it 3 lot either ■ with tho .Government or the Opposition? . '('!No,:no;")::.Well, he could, see' nothing moro iin it :unless;ftheyr-formed a : party, of their-- .■: own. , . (Cries of '- Farmers' iUnion platfprm " and "/TH'ait's?it.")). Ho thought the Farmers' ■ . Union-lliid : accomplished a ; groat, deal - more thain/most'people -were awaro'of. ' ' ~: . Captain. C'olbcck said ha_failed to see that, the I armors' .Union liad'doiie any good. ' Had ~they.-fought in their own;interestsP Ho'ad-., vised, members to study what .tho,..workers •Jiad 'done.----- ."-Wo have doubled'our income during tho-last-fevv ,years," concluded i the speaker,7" for,- the Lord has been good to us, .. but • We].ar6 .'spending :'it'.all because the : workers. wero enabled to put tlio'screw on." : . . In-the ■ discission that' followed many, -sug-; .-. gestions: :.-iyere forthcoming, - the 1 feeling; being almost unanimous that tho farmers should tako up, politics and. " run them, for 'all' tlicy were .worth."; One suggestion which- camo from .one • delegate, -was that..'a s- , third ('party, should ...be", formed i.'to". undertake . ■ thetFajmers'--*Uriiori-:platfprm'.' ■'..]'••■ Subsequently- Mr.] Boddie - 'moved.'':as .an ; " : ''That,. While recognising the 110- ~ cessityr, -.of staking. : .'an..-;activo" ; part in all ;. politicalquestions farmers'.. inter-.. ests, this] Gonforencij considers it- inadvisable - VVat the - present ; timo to'.'form ', a. separate party " ■ V MR. WILSON ON PARTYISM. Mr. J. G-.'ffilson. president of the Colonial Executive;] who • was present r during: tho . greater .part-of tho ; afternoon, was particularly: emphatic regarding, placing a " black" mark ,against political candidates who had ]:broken • their promises to farmers. Mr. ; Wili soil.went,'on to refer..to t-hq difficulties', that /■]w'ould;'arise.an the form of a third 'party; •" If! .li'ecome a .party hack,", he ; s' saW/j.." y<ju i: are' ,absorbod : into that party : altbgethb.r, and therefore you;.would have 110 . power, : .a]3iagaii}st the other.party."' A third .parfj' was.'iiot.a'-success,' although ithad been ' tried:'un:'.many - lands. -, He l-eferred to tho • ';' case; of - Mr. Lang, who ; had been returned . ; .to. Parliament largely; as^"tho result of or;ganised .-'wbrk;, bv tl'.e-'Fariners'; Union. . The • ~; same'thing had {been done in'-Taranaki. , 1 yote'd for' the'amendment,; and • tho put. aiid carried. ..