ORGANISING FARMERS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXII, Issue 4345, 21 November 1921, Page 3

ORGANISING FARMERS.

RE-UiMON AT NGATEA.

A NEW POLITICAL PARTY. Another link .in the organisation of the farming community by the Provincial Executive was the reunion, held at Ngatea on Saturday evening, when Colonel Allen, Messrs G. Horne, J. B. Thomas, and L. IL McAlpine (secretary) attended to address the settlers. Mr W. G. Hayward (president of the Ngatea branch) occupied the chair and introduced the visitors to the large number of settlers who attended. DAIRY FARMERS UNION. Mr J, B. Thomas thought all realised the necessity for organisation among the farming community. All other sections were looking after tjheir own interests, and farmers must dp likewise. There had been an agitation to form a dairy farmers’ union, but that was not required at that juncture. There was to be a conference between the Farmers’ Union and Dairy Farmers’ Union, and a proposal would be put forward for the latter to retain its powers under the Farmers’ Union.

Speaking in, regard to the difficulty of interesting farmers in the Union, Mr Thomas contended that the farmers’ paper would keep members more in touch with its activities. He also maintained that ,t|here should be a farmers' political party, saying, “All we want is that. country should be developed to its utmost and be more beneficial to the farmers and townspeople alike.” (Applause.) FARMERS AND POLITICS. Colonel Allen in .his opening remarks said he .was an accredited member of the Provincial Executive and those present would be quite within their rights to throw rotten eggs at him. (Laughter.) Speaking of the difficulty in organising. the farmer, the farmer lives a self-centred life and acquires a self-reliant character This fact made it hard to piece in with his fellow farmers. It they did not agree in every particular they went their own ways. Democracy up to tlhe present was largely governed bi the centres, which assert themselves and organise and pull their weight, while the scattered parts become inarticulate, their voice not being heard. It was that which they wished to ge,t at now. (Applause.) It was heart-breaking to And what little weight the agricultural community brought to bear. The Farmers’ Conference had decided to form a Farmers’ Political Party. Though he was an enthusiastic supporter of Mr Massey he had come to the conclusion that if .the farmers had three or four members in the House it would be of incalculable benefit. Concluding, the speaker said there were three ways in which all could help: (1) In boosting the organisation ; (2) by sinking all those little pet views for the benefit of combination ; “and thirdly,” he wound up, “by paying your subscriptions.” (Laughter and applause.)

Mr G.. Horne advocated unionism amongst farmers. His experience . was that if-they did not combine they would not get their fair share of what was going. All should be acquainted With what was a great benefit, the organisation of the N.Z. Co-op. Dairy Co. Up to the present they had little say in putting the price on their own produce. The middleman came in and had a big share in the profit. He did not see how .the Farmers’ Union could be dispensed witih. (Applause.) Mr McAlpine said they did hot pretend to attend to make speeches, but to cause the farmers to realise that they were part and parcel of one organsiation. The fact of them being new to the settlers appeared to bring a few more to the meetings. Tha: should not be the case, as all should attend the ordinary monthly branch meetings. There were two things -which concerned the Farmers’ Union man, and those were the organisation and the political and commercial side. The Farmers,’ Union was the only institution to voice the views of the farmers. Without the co-opera-tion of the farmers New Zealand must go under. All other people were out to handle the goods for their own benefit. Was it not up to. the farmers to loyally support the organisation ? If the farmer failed the cities, the cities could not live as they were dependent on the farmers as much as fanners were dependent on them. The farmer wanted a better, deal. The townspeople could not give the farmer a better deal, as the townsfolk knew no better, and the only way to. open their eyes was to have a fanners political party as all read the political news. Canadian politics were dominated by farmers. There was one man who had done yoemao service in Parliament for farmers, but he was dead now. The late Mr W. D. Powdrell was killed by the-re-sponsibility of his duties to the farmers. Some Taranaki men had banded together to relieve the estate of Mr Powdrell, who was only one of the men who was working for the farmers. AU concerns were up against it now, and the managers of the cooperative concerns deserved the farmers’ gratitude, and few would show a profit this year. “You must be thankful if the loss is only small,” he concluded. “Some of the managers had been sent away to the Islands suffering with mental breakdown.- The co-operative concerns are our concerns, and we should stick to them loyally. Co-operative concerns were the only ones which will save the industry.” (Prolonged applause.) FARMERS AND TRADING. Mr Halliburton Johnstone wondered why everything they sold was sold by auction, and the farmers were often plundered. Mr McAlpine : I do not know quite how to answer that. Mr Johnstone : It is true. Mr McAlpine: No doubt it is true. The speaker went on t'o say that the Farmers’ Union Trading Co. had hot sufficient capital to handle all articles the farmer required. Some manufacturers fixed the retail prices, and often the farmer looked round

for something to take its place. When the Trading Company had sufficient capital it would provide all the farmer required, and it would fix the price for all those articles. The company would s.oon wish tp increase its capital, and he urged them to give it all the money they could. Mr Thomas thought the commercial firms were thoroughly organised, but the farmers were not). Mr Hayward wished further information regarding shipping. Mr Thomas said the interest on money for a coH'op. shipping line should be paid by export duty, and he thought it would pot do to burden the public with import duty. Mr Hayward : How do you intend tjo get the State to back it up. Mr Thomas: By having a farmers party in Parliament. Mr Davidson said he had always advocated the delegates going put among the branches. They had strengthened various branches, and he moved a hearty vote off thanks for the visitors for attending to address the meeting. Mr Cleaver, in seconding, said the only place the Farmers’ Union came from was' from the farmer himself. Mr McAlpine said the success of the branch depended on the secretary, who often did not get much encouragement. If the secretaries were encouraged a little more they would do a great deal more work. He suggested a conference of secretaries and presidents of several local branches. Mr Green said if tjhey could get the members subscriptions they would get their interest. He enquired what success had been obtained by orders on dairy companies.Mr McAlpine said where they had been pushed the orders ihad been quite a success. Mr Davidson said though Mi’ McAlpine had been out of pocket and doing his services free, he had gained indirectly.. Those who h,ad not assisted had reaped the same benefit as the workers had done. Mr Davidson’s motion of thanks to the visitors was carried by acclamation. Mr Thomas thanked all for the vote of thanks, saying that he and his friends weYe pleased to attend. The times would be more difficult in the near future; all must stand shoulder to shoulder, and who must do it but farmers themselves.

SPEECHES AT MORRINSVILLE. As the Ngatea speakers arrived late the various subject could not be so fully dealt with as tpiey were at Mprrinsville, a report ofl Which addresses reads as fellows in the MorrinsviUe “Star”: . PRINCIPLE OF CO-OPERATION. Mr Polson said he wanted to interest the farmers in the constructive programme and the future development and policy of the Union. The Union’s programme contained an insistent for principles, and the chief of these principles was cooperation. The Union had been putting into practical shape the programme laid down by the Dominion conference. The platform had four planks. These were co-operative shipping, co-operative marketing, in which there should be no middlemen inteivening, co-operative freezing, and, finally, co-operative agricultural banking. Mr Polson told his hearers that the producers were seeking to eliminate the middleman and to substitute the honest system bf selling on consignment. Co-operative banking was also required Everything included in the programme he had outlined had already been adopted in 'older countries—he referred particularly to Germany and Denmark —with the exception, possibly, of the proposals with regard to shipping. EXAMPLES FROM OVERSEAS. In indicating some of the benefits to be derived from a comprehensive scheme of co-operation Mr Polson cited the case of. the fruitgrowers of California. There the movement was started thirteen years ago by the raisin-growers. .Their prices had dropped below the cost ofl production, but they saved themselves from disaster by cutting out the middleman and marketing their produce on a cooperative basis. The pioducers raised the price of raisins from five cents to ten cents per pound, and to-day the price was fifteen cents. Despite these increases the consumers were not paying extra for the fruit, as the producer was simply getting the benefit of the-“rake-off” which formerly went into the pockets of the middleman. The system which the New Zealand producers were being, asked to adopt was a legitimate development in an ideal direction: the producer to get all he was entitled to in the industry so that no middlemen or speculators could intervene to rob him of anything which was .his. The State should assist in the development of the co-operative movement among producers the same as had been done in Germany and Denmark and other countries, for co-operation was a natural and legitimate development, an ideal which should be fostered by trio State.

Unfortunately in this country there was a considerable amount 'of class feeling. The townspeople thought the country people were always greedy and grasping and the country people regarded the townspeople as parasites. This barrier, must be broken down and the country people and townspeople, who were interdependent on each other, should work for the good of the whole. With the circumstances as they were the State was loth to intervene. At such a time co-operation was' the people’s great stand-by, and they musti make full use of it.

(To be continued.)