UNITY IS STRENGTH

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 73, 13 April 1937, Page 15

UNITY IS STRENGTH

• m Appeal By N.Z.F.U. President FARMERS MUST COMBINE ' ' Tbe need for unity among f armers iC that they may be able to make tbeii voice heard in no uncertain way is grealer to-day tlian ever it vpas," Said the Dominioii President Of the New Zealand Parinera' Uuioii, Mr W. W. Mulholland, in a sttttement in whieh he urged all farmers to become membera of the Union. The Hawke's Bay braiieh of the Cnion is condticting a special inemhership campaign, starting on Monday, April 19, and it was in connectioh with this "drive" that the president made Ma appeal. 1 1 Throughout the Dominion the farmer is in a moat Unfortunate position," he continued. "Every where he filids costs being raised steadily against him while his income is not increasing su&ciently to enable him to meet them. Botween the farmer'a coat© and his returns is a very wide gap aud if the industry is to be saved tnat gap must be closed. "We need not pursua the point that the i'armer is the creator of New Zealand 's wealth and is directly responsible for the Dominion 's credit overseas. That is so widely recognised that further comment upon it is unnoceasary, but the inescapable fact is that if the farming industry is not an economic succe&s then every other section of the community must sufEer. Who then must bting to the notice of che 'powers that be' the necessities of the farmers? No one but the farmers themselves. No other section of the community will do it, for apart from every thing else they have ' their oWn worries, and in any case their direct interests must come first. "Indeed in some cases those interests are diametrically opposed to those of the farmers. The farmers have to light for their rights and they can only do it through their organisation. Individual .ropresentations count for noth-

mg to-aay ana tne Jrnme iviinisier nas Indicated as much when he remarked that the Government could not possibly deal with representations made by individuals. There are many seetions of farmers but the Union represents all of them, and can claim to speak for every branch of farming. The stronger the memhership the gcrater force will any representations havo, and that is why I want to see every farmer in the country a member of the Union.' ' The Union had accomplished a great deal in the past, proceeded Mr Mulholland, and wa© attaining additional objectives every year. All farmers were beneiitting from this, and therefore, should all help in the fight. No one surely would he willing to sit dowu and tjike the beneflts that were being obtained without contributlng to the fighting force. sure," he concluded, "that no farmer would willingly take up the position of the soldier who would hide himself in a shell hole while his comrades pressed on to the attack and faced the withering lire of the enemy"