N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 65, 17 January 1908, Page 3

N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

Kaeaea Branch. On Saturday last, Mr Allen Bell, Provincial President of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, paid a visit to Kaeaea, and addressed a large and enthusiastic meeting in the Kaeaea schoolroom. Mr Elwood occupied the chair and in a few well-chosen words welcomed Mr Bell to the district. Mr Bell, on rising, expressed great pleasure at bring able to accept the invitation of the Kaeaea settlers and expound the platform of the Union. It was evident the farmers in the backblocks were waking up and the efforts of those few individuals throughout the Dominion to organise them into a united body, were at last bearing fruit. If the farming community desired to obtain that position in the political economy of the country, which was their undoubted right, they would have to throw off the pitable apathy they had hitherto displa3 r ed. The greatest question which affected the settlers of the Dominion was undoubtedly the land legislation of the present administration. When the Leasehold Land Bill was first introduced, the Minister of Lands toured the colony, and in a manly, straightforward manner stated he had nailed colours to the mast and would stand or fall by the Bill. It was owing to the splendid stand made by the Farmers' Union and their supporters that we beheld the pitiable spectable of a Minister of the Crown grovelling in the dust and offering to make any alterations in his Bill to appease the various factions of the House, until, finally, the Bill was hardly recognisable. There was no doubt in his (the speaker's) mind, or in the minds of those who had a practical experience of the land question, that in the attempt to destroy the freehold the Government had struck a blow at the national character of our people, the evil consequences of which it was impossible to estimate. (Applause). The Farmers' Union stood for the optional tenure, and was not the organisation which was upholding the big farmer. The Union wished to see every man, who had the ability to become a successful farmer, have the right to acquire land whether he had capital or not. If he had not the necessary capital it was the duty of the state to render him every assistance to get on the land, and to give him the right to make it a freehold when he was able. (Hear, hear). The speaker condemned the 33 years lease, and stated that having lived the " living death" of the backblockcr, he could say that the man who went on to the back-block country under such conditions would be mad. The Farmers' Union wished to see the country thickly populated by the small farmer each having the right to acquire the freehold. (Applause). TAXATION. Another question on which the Union had taken a strong stand, was that of taxation. The burden of taxation in the Dominion was increasing at an alarming rate. In IQOO it was £4183; in 1906 £5 13s lid; and in 1907 £6 3s 3d per head, and this had not only to be borne by those producing the wealth, but by every man, woman and child. In the face of this we were being told that living was being made easier for the people. Unfortunately the major portion of this had to be shouldered by the farmer. Ihe unimproved value of the land was being rushed up at the rate of about ten million pounds per year, for the purpose of showing good security for money to be borrowed in the London markets. Farmers' union and labour. _ Ever since he had arrived in the district the speaker said he had been told there was a feeling that the Union was antagonistic to labour, and it was working to cut down wages. He wished to say that was an entirely wrong impression, and if he thought the Union was working in the direction stated he would be one of the first to throw it over. He had been a labourer himself for a number of years, and had the greatest sympathy with the man who had to earn his living by manual labourMr Bell also touched on Defence and advocated the objects of the National League. He hoped the day was not far distant when every ablebodied man in the Dominion would be made an efficient defender of the great heritage left to us by our fathers. The speaker also dealt with the question of large estates, and advocated limitation of area. In speaking of the political aspect of the Union, Mr Bell said the body had not yet taken a hand in party politics. Every shade of political opinion was represented in the Union, and their platform was the interests of the farmer. Personally, he did not approve of the Union's non-political attitude, and their power was minit mised on great questions affecting the farmers unless they were aple to apply the political screw. When the Union decided to take a stand and engage actively in politics they would be greatly strengthened, and would be a potent force in directing the destinies of the country. The speaker also referred to the townsman, and looked forward to the time when town and country would be united on.great questions, and work hand in hand for the good of the whole.

At the conclusion of the Mr Elwpod proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Mf Bell fer his address and trusted that before long they would enjoy the privilege of another visit from him. The vote was carried by acclamation, and the meeting dispersed after the usual vote of thanks to the chairman.