FARMERS’ UNION.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 325, 9 August 1907, Page 2

FARMERS’ UNION.

(IO THE EDITOR.) Sir, —It is of vital importance to us, tbe farmers of New Zealand, te be strongly united in a useful Union for our protec'.ian against toe Labour Union?. Tho endeavour to rob future generations of tbe freehold by tbe attempt male by Labour members t) pass the notorious M’Ntb Lind Act should act as a warning t j tbe farmers of New Zealand. At present our Union cannot do much good, as it is not a political Union. We may bring some weight to bear on tbe Government, but if we were united at election », first picked our candidate, and put him in, we would have as much say in Che Government as the Labour Unions now have. We are at present neglected by the party in power. We do not get as muctrcon sideration aa the towns. Why ia this ? It is because we do not reckon politics as part of oar Union business, and the party in power being solidly united for political purposes have a weapon of unity at e ection time too strong for us to oppose. Consequently we are left in the minority. No ananited budy of people can be successful, and until we know what we want at election time and get it, in the shape of good members of our own profession, we shall continue to be weak, and tbe butt of those who recognise the importance of voting together after appointing a candidate. If we now could see the importance of making our Union political we could at next election tnroughout the colony return true men pledged to support tbeoptional tenure. The neglected backblocks would have roads, bridges and even railways, and instead of large sums being spent in the towns, the country districts would get a much larger share* J propose that we ag.*ee to make our Union political to save ourselves from tbe town Unions,—Yours etc., G. H. MACKENZIE.