THE FARMERS' UNION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1451, 28 May 1912, Page 8

THE FARMERS' UNION.

PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT IN MASTERTON. ■ / AX ORGANISER APPOINTED. A meeting of members of tho farmers' Union was held in the Mnsterton A. and 1 , . Association rooms on isalurday, Mr. Jl. Morrison presiding over an attendance of about ;l0 members. The chairman said the meeting had wen called to see if the farmers' Union-could ))U revived throughout the Wairarapa. In th« whole district there were now only two small branches—Tinui and Whakataki. The whole of the other branches appeared to be dead. A movement was afoot to -revive the union. This was an age of unionism. The Labour party was organising. The commercial classes had 1 their Chambers of Commerce. The professional men were organised. But the farmers were the last to organise for their own benefit. The probable reason that the workers were organised and the farmers were not was that the former werr in a position to command direct benefits, and the latter were not. It had been thought necessary to appoint a paid organiser for the whole district. Mr. D. Hebenton had been selected for this position. If anybody could revive the union in the-district, Mr. Morrison thought Mr. Hebenton could. In conclusion Mr. Morrison expressed the opinion that tho Fanners' Union should be the strongest organisation of its kind in the Dominion. It had been proposed by the sub-commit-tee that the annual subscription should be 10s. for those having properties of a capital value up to .ECOOfI and .£1 for thoso having properties above this value. Mr. Murray .1. H. Jackson expressed the opinion that the reason the union had been a failure was that it had refused to discuss politics. They did not want party politics, but they must have politics as they affected the farmer. The chairman agreed that politics were essential to the union, but he did not think they should have party politics. During the discussion as to the such scription, Mr. W. L. Falconer referred to the fact that while the poorest factory girl in England could contribute od._ a week to v her union, the farmer in New Zealand complained at haviim to pay 10s. per year to his union. Mr. Falconer thought that Masterton should have one of the strongest branches of tho union in the Dominion. The motion for the adoption of the report of the sub-committee was tnen put, 1 and carried unanimously. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year —President, Mr. 11. Morrison; vice-presidents, Messrs. J. C. Cooper, and A. J. Perry; local .committee, Messrs. W. Perry, D. M'Gregor, jun., W. L. Falconer, K. D. M'Kenzie, G. A. Bruce, and D. W. Foreman; auditor, Mr. W. 31. Cole.