FARMERS UNION

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 169, 14 April 1939, Page 2

FARMERS UNION

ADDRESS BY CAPT. RUSHWORTH j ' POSITION OF FARMERS

An ad'dressi was given in the Regent Hull on Wednesday night by Capt-. H. M. Rushworth, Auckland Provincial President of the Farmers’- Union. Mr. If. Thompson, president of the Opotiki Branch of the Union, occupied the chair. There was a fair, attendance and the speaker received! a very attentive . hearing throughout. Mr. Thompson introduced . Capt, Rushworth who on commencing his address apologised for having to deliver hi& address while being seated, tiiis being due to an operation he had undergone some time ago.

In his opening remarks Ca-pt. Rushworth said he was going to deal with the future of the Farmers’ Union. He was present without any political ambitions. He was in Opotiki at the urgent- invitation ol; Mr. Martin, the sub-pi’ovincial president and that of the Opotiki Branch. In referring to co-operative 'marketing, the speaker said that all industries were working under their capacity. The distributive machinery had gone astray—there was something radically wrong. The business fraternity was entrusted with the distribution of produce, but the principal tool had broken. That was money. It was the duty of businesspeople to face up to the business.

Capt. Rushworth suggested the businesspeople ask themselves how they did their business and said the money came from the farmer. They should makje it their business to see that the farmer had something to spend over and -above working expenses.

The speaker said lie would deal with tlie position of the sheepfarmers of the country, who were now facing disaster. The sheepfarmers’’ income had dropped by £7,000,000. The sheepfarmers were wondering what was going to happen next. 11: the sheepfarmers standard of living fell then the dairyfarmers would suffer next, .. A promise of a Royal Commission had been made by the Prime Minister but nothing had been done yet. The dairyfarmer was in a better fpoisition than the sheepfarmer.

The guaranteed price Toll’ far short 1 of wlmt had been expected of it. The guaranteed price was fixetli on an average of the better farmers.., /..The Arbitration Court in fixing wages had made allowance for a man, his wife and two children, blit he (the speaker) said the majority of wage-earners were -single men. A figure had been presented for file guaranteed price bub this was 3d. less than thei figure recommended by the special committee which dealt- with the matter. Capt. Rus'h Worth- gave the. Aiiihster’ s j reason’s for'-fixing a lower, price , .and claimed there was no guarantee.,> • He stated that unless the farmers had a weapon to fight- in the future the position pf the . dlairvfarmer, would be. serious. Eleven thousand children left school every year but- few went to the .kind. The industry had, been kept .going, for a quarter of a cohtiinf: on cheap imported labour. It must be the aim and object of the Union to get the women and children out of the COw.-sheds;- The farmers/- iinij to be placed in a position to 'be able to pay tempting wages. Why was- it the Farmers’ Union had hot been' able to achieve much success-along that line? The most' that had been done,was to have prevented worse, .things ..happening, be v said. .

Capt. Rushwortli referred to the efforts made to secure adequate parliamentary representation and stated that the farmers had promised support but when it came- to the test the farmers’ candidates had been met with ridicule and derision.

The speaker referred to the 1 formation of the Farmers’ Union in North Auckland by Mr. Class, who later came to Opotiki. Mr. Moody, the Allayer of Opotiki, had been, enrolled and had remained a member up to the present—a term of 34 years, which he (the speaker) thought must be nearly a. record. (Japt. ltushworth said be had been alone in Parliament for seven years before he was joined! by Air. Sexton. The thing that gave him offence. said Clapt. Itusliworth, was that the farmers suffered from an inferiority complex. In referring tot some of his Parliamentary experiences, the speaker said he had taken part in hundreds of divisions and lie had always voted on the merits of a ease. He did not vote

for a party. In liis opinion the way Parliament was run to-day was nothing but a fraud. The fraud wa.s largely due to a. trick. Everything that came before the House was a matter of confidence. It was thoroughly ingra'inedl in all members of the parties that they were cogs in a machine. Cabinet was really the Government. Tremendous strides had been taken in reent years- towards a dictatorship.

•Continuing, the speaker said the farmers’ attempts to get direct representation in Parliament, had so- far failed. The Farmers’ Union had not done anything like a.s much as it should. The leadership of the Farmers’ Union wag deplorably weak. That was because the farmers hadn’t tlie foggiest idea of what they wanted. The farmers must learn to abidto by and loyally support the majority vote. The price had to be paid for the simpression of the farmers. It was being done all over the world tc-day.' The work of the - leaders of the Farmers’ Union in recent years had been very onerous indeed, continued the speaker. He thanked the district for sending a man of the calibre- of Mr. Martin to the provincial conference. The membership had risen to 11,000. Capt. Rushworth then went on to explain the workings of the conference meetings and said they wanted! freedom and security/ for the fanners—they, wanted equity. If the Union wag to be of any use it bad to be used as a weapon. • They had to be loyal to a majority decision v If they decided to abide by a majority decision they would never lack strong and. loyal leaders, concluded! the speaker. Mr. J. Armstrong moved, a vote of' thanks to the /speaker for his able aiddress and this, was seconded by Mr; Kemp and carried wy acclamation;

Capt. Rushworth thanked those present for the’ very attentive, hearing lie had received and hoped thathis remarks would result in the furtherance of the farmers’ cause. • . , A vote of thanks to the chair , concluded! tlie meeting.