ARMERS AND POLITICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1694, 10 March 1906, Page 3

ARMERS AND POLITICS.

THE POWER OF UNION.

(Weekly News.) The farmers of New Zealand are evidently too well satisfied with the present state of things to trouble themselves very

much about politic:!. Whilst butter and mutton and wool keep up to anything near their present values they will probably , continue to remain indifferent to poltical matters and not trouble themselves greatly even about the expenditure of their own money on public works. It is true that for a few weeks before the recent elections farmers, here and there raised sufficient interest in political representation to attend meetings of their own special candidates, but some did not

even do this. The difference between the attitude of farmers in this respect and theattitode of the Labor and Badical parties is striking. The Labor and Badical parties, though altogether inferior to agriculturist* in number and wealth, and with much fewer interests at stake, organised extensively, and subscribed averagely nearly ten times as much money per head for this purpose as the farmers did; and besides giving money these people worked for their candidates. One instance alone will

illustrate this point. In a certain con stituency there were two candidates, one representing farmers, the other representing labor. The Labor party provided their- candidate with nioney for various expenses; they provided halls for his meetings, they arranged seats and lighting ; they rolled up to hi 3 meetings and induced their friends to go with them ; they canvassed for. him among their mates; they helped him through the | columns of the press, and worked for him as much as they knew how with hands I and personal influence and money. The farmers in the same district let their candidate find all his expenses and do all, or nearly all, the work of the campaign. Their monetary support might have extended to “shouting” for him when they met him at the hotel, and they attended his meetings only if it happened to suit their convenience. Is it any wonder that farmers get beaten politically when they will not fight themselves nor find money to enable other peoplo to light for them? The present prosperous state of things may 'induce farmers to be careless and indifferent regarding political power, but it is at a time like this when they may at least lay the foundations of an organisation which will serve them when bad times come, or when legislation is threatened which is likely to injure their interests. If farmers are too busy'making money to attend personally to the safe : guarding of their interests they can use a moiety of their income for the purjr vse of strengthening their union. The Farmers’ Union is the only attempt at general organisation in the interests of agriculture which has been made in New Zealand, and its past history shows how immensely valuable such an organisation may become. But _ will anyone believe that the Farmers’ Union is anything like as strong or anything like as active as it might be ? The latest balance sheet of the Farmers’ Union available shows that the receipts of the general executive amounted to only £433 7s 3d, which at 2s per member gives a I total membership of 4333 for the whole of New Zealand. This may not bo an accurate method of arriving at the total membership of the union, but it certainly shows that as a national organisation the union only receives a sum equal to 2s per year from 4333 people. Is it likely that an organisation like this can make any headway, say, against such a body ns the trades and labor unions, which have a total membership of nearly 30,000 and an annual income of over £30,000? Farmers know as well as anyone that numbers and money,,score in every walk of life, and they ought to know, too, that it; rests with themselves whether their

union shall remain at its present weakness or whether thoy will make it the strongest organisation in New Zealand, It invs frequently, been urged tlmt one reason why the Farmers’ Union does not grow is because fanners are too widely scattered to meet often. They are not too widely scattered to send a XI subscription once every twelve months to tho nearest, provincial or local secretary, and there is really no occasion for thorn to meet any oftencr than they like if they will only bind themselves to act with their fellows whenever agricultural interests are at, stake. An income of even XIO,OOO per year would enable the executive of the Farmers’ Union to secure tho services of men who eoukl put. in their whole time working for tho political and commercial advantage of tho farmer; and if ten thousand fanners would join the union and pay their modest pound a year thoy could soon bring that organisation to such a pitch of usefulness that no farmer in tho country could afford to stand out of it. As tliero wore at tho ip.st census 40,144 persons fanning or working land in somo form or other in this colony, and as at the present time the number is probably 50,000, it is easy to see how powerful an inHuonce they could exerciso if only they would join together for mutual protection er advancement. If there aro 10,000 farmers in New Zealand who think political power is worth XI per year each to them now is a good time for thorn to send in their subscription, and to signify their intention of continuing it. With a fund like this at its disposal tho executive could count on doubling tho membership within two years, anil getting at least 40,000 members within five years, for there is one overwhelming influence in organisation, and that is power. Make tho Farmers’ Union roally powerful, an" everyone w r ill want to join it.

; RURAL TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION ; Is a subject which the Poverty Bay Pro- ■ vincial Executive of the Fanners’ Union, in conjunction with the High School Board (who arc the controlling authority), have been 'endeavoring to introduce into tlie Poverty Bay district; and, recognising that Dairying will interest a large proportion of the farmers, have decided to try and obtain an Instructor on “ Dairying and its Adjuncts.” If our position in the world’s markets is to be maintained, it" behoves our farmers to leave no stone unturned to get hold of the most lip to date methods, and so the Provincial Executive has taken the riskof guaranteeing £SO TOWARDS THE COST. It will probably COST YOU os for a course of, say, ten lectures in your own -I district. Will you not help to prove that there is some UNITY among farmers by sending your name and subscription to your Secretary AT ONCE ? Don’t put it off until you go to town — 11 Money talks.” No one is too old to learn ; it’s I for, YOUR interest we’re fighting, not our own. Try tbe experiment.of TRUSTING US for once. FARMERS’ NEWSPAPER. The Union is trying to run a live newspaper of its' own, to watch farmers’ interests, but it cannot do so without subscribers. Send your subscription for the “ Farmers’ Advocate ” to the Provincial Secretary, Mr W. Lissant Clayton,' NOW. Three years’ subscription will only cost' you 25s cash, or one year 10s in advance. . : ■ FIRE INSURANCE. If you think of saving money by insuring vour FIRE RISK in the FARMERS’ MUTUAL INSURANCE ASSOCIATION, encourage your Executive by writing to the Secretary telling him how much cover you will want on your buildings DON’T WAIT UNTIL YOU COME TO TOWN.