DAIRY FARMERS' UNION.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4493, 17 November 1922, Page 3

DAIRY FARMERS' UNION.

ORGANISING HAURAKI PLAINS. BRANCH AT WAITAKARURU. A branch of the Dairy Farmers 1 ’ Union was formed at Waitakaruru on Wednesday evening, when Mr A. E. Fear, organiser, delivered an address to a well-attended meeting. Mr Fear, pointing out the value of the new union, said it was out io specialise and to look after the dairy farmers’ interests. All other branches of farming had. their own organisations such as the woolgnbwersi, fruitgrowers, poultrymen, beekeepers, and graziers, but the' dairyman, who was the primary producer of this country, had no union. They were the only farmers unorganised. The Farmers’ Union claimed to be looking after the interests of tihe dairy farmer, but the speaker considered that the dairy farmers were in a worse position l today than they had been in the past 15 years. The prices of butter and cheese were now back to' 1914 figures and the cost of production had gone -up 300 per cent. What with shipping rings, trusts, and middlemen, who were the ruin of the farmers of this country, the dairy former would gb under if not organised at once. It was only lately that theFarmers’ Union had awakened) to the fact that the dairy farmer existed and that they were alarmed at the progress of the Dairy Farmers’ Union. The Farmers’ Union alleged that the Dairy Farmers’ Union was out to make a split. The Dairy Farmers’ Union wished to work with the Farmers’ Union, each branch of fanning, to work bn its pwnj, and the Farmers’ Union to bo the Federated bead representing all branches of the farming industry. The speaker said he had been a member of the Farmers’ Union for the past 15 years', during which period he was at different times president and secretary of branches and a member of the subprovincial executive at Te Awamutu until that body turned over in favour of the Dairy Farmers’ Union. Where did the Farmers’ Union stand after being 20 years unorganised ? The Northern Farmers’ Union had started its own political party, and, by its own had included the Dairy Farmers’ Union. The speaker said he was pleased to state that his union was non-politic, and had nothing to do with the Farmers’ Party in the Auckland province.

Continuing, Mr Fear said the Dairy Farmers’ Union alone brought the matter of over-mortgaged farmes before the Government to try and bring some relief tp farmers who were being turned off their farms, with the result that over £1’,500,000 in mortgages and thousands of pounds of back interest .was wiped but, saving hundreds of farmers from ruin.' As a union it was out tp improve the herds, do away with the scrub cow and unregistered bulls, and gp in for red pedigree bulls of high butter-fat production. Tihe union had a s'cheme to double the production in the Dominion and to better the marketing conditions which would save the dairy farmers millions a year. The Dairy Farmers’ Union was here to stay; and was anxious to work amicably with their own fellow farmers, and not to make a split. It was out to place the dairy farmer on ,a business footing and do away with, drudgery.

Mr Fear was given a patient hearing, and the meeting appeared to be enthusiastic over the Union.

It was decided to form a branch, and the foilpwing officers were elected : President, Mr C. Hayward l ; secretary, Mr R. Slack; committee, Messrs R- T. Williams, ,C. W. Harris, W. Stretton, J. Sim, Cummings, and Harrow.

. A total pf 28 signed up as members, wihile several, others signified their intention of becoming members. It is anticipated that the membership will reach 60.