ROUSING UP THE FARMERS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1419, 20 April 1912, Page 8

ROUSING UP THE FARMERS.

EFFORTS OF THE DOMINION PRESIDENT. An effort is being mado bv Mr. J. 0. Wilson, Provincial niul Dominion President of the New Zealand Partners' "Union, to instil more life into union affairs. During tho past tow days Mr. Wilson has addressed several meetings in the country and set forth tho aims and objects of the union. Speaking at Eketahunn, ho remarked that tho officers of tho union found tho most difficult thing was to keep tho branches alive. Farmers did not take nearly tho interest in branch matters they should, =md it often devolved upon one or two energetic persons to keep tho branches together. This should not be tho case. Farmers ought to bo sufficiently alivo to their own interests to know the. union, if mado a live body, is capable of doing untold good. It had proved itself in the past, and members had received greater advantages than the amounts paid in subscriptions. Members should not cease contributing because they woro unable to attend branch meetings. The recent census revealed tho fact that tho rural districts were becoming depopulated, which indicated that tho cities were obtaining a preponderance of power in the political world. Tho politics of tho cities were a conglomeration diametrically opposed to tho interests of the farming community, and it was for this reason fanners should unite to countcrbalancq 1 tho influence of faddists. Union members were not growing in numbers as they should. Ho urged that, for tho good of tho country, fanners should hnvo no crushing-restrictions placed on them. After outlining the objects of the union, Mr. Wilson urged every fanner to ioin the union and thereby help themselves and tho Domiuion. I