AN EXPLANATION

Hokitika Guardian, 27 October 1933, Page 8

AN EXPLANATION

BY MR POLSON. i ■ ’• WELLING TON, October’2s. Criticism made -at a meeting of the executive of the Dairy Farmers’ Union at Palmerston’ North last month of his association with the new journal of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, “Point Blank,” was replied to by Mr W. J. Poison, M.P., the president, at to-day’s meeting of the Dominion Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. Mr Poison described the report as an alleged report of a meeting, in which there were some very critical comments, not of the new paper, but of the fact that he, as a politician was apparently controlling the paper in the interests of the farming community. ' Mr Poison said he wished to make the position quite dear. He I' was an executive officer of the organisation, and lie had undertaken to look after the publication of the paper. The young men who were running it were not familiar with the details of the Farmers’ Union. His job was to see they did not get off the rails by writing articles that were entirely contrary to the principles or ideals of the union, and in' general to see that nothing was wr tten that would be qfuite out of lihe with policy. Mr Poison said that he was in hopes that in a few months he would be relieved (of jany 'responsibility concerning the articles. In the meantime, his job was to see that the policy of the un'on was carried out by the official 'journal. Although the criticism had not done any harm, he suggested to provincial unions that matters of this kind should he taken in committee. Newspapers always seized upon items of, this kind. The view might be taken from reading the report of the Palmerston North meeting that the union was an unhappy family, and that they wiire quarrelling among themselves, when that was not the position at all. Mr Poison said he thought that if the members would have a little patience they would find tha t the new journal would be a strong protagonist of the union’s work.