DAIRY FARMERS’ UNION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 5 August 1924, Page 4

DAIRY FARMERS’ UNION.

c - (To the Editor), bur, I would just like to briefly reply to statements made by Mr McAlpine at the executive meeting of the Farmers Lnion, and published in the Hawera Star of July 19. First of all l unsh to make it quite clear that 1 have no desire to say anything that may impede the progress of the Farmers Lnion. I only wish to correct M vr nG A n , tS made b - v Mr McAlpine. Mr McAlpine stated that there was no need tqr two organisations, and that up North they (the Farmers’ Union) en iT l lng mem bers at the rate of °f,i j. a r m °nth, and 95 per cent, of the dairy farmers were members of the r aimers’ Union. Now, sir, that statement is contrary to fact. The balance-sheet of the Farmers’ Union, Auckland province. for showed a membership of 4CO members, and that after twenty-five years of organising. Several sub-provincial unions have ceased to exist as Farmers’ union. Mr Poison, the Dominion president of the Farmers’ Union, assured us when he attended the Dairy Farmers Union conference in Palmerston North at the beginning of July that there was no antagonism on the part of the Farmers’ Union to the Dairy Farmers’ Lnion, and that he himsejf had given instructions to the organisers of the I' airmens’ Union that they should, encourage farmers to ioin up with the Dairy Farmers’ Union, and who did not wish to join the Farmers’ Union. That in niy opinion is the right and proper policy to pursue if we are sincere in our statement about the federation of the two unions.—l am, etc., C. PARKER.