WHAT HAS BEEN DONE?

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 241, 14 June 1928, Page 6

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE?

BY FARMERS’ UNION. Captain Colbeck’s Views. “ You ask me what the Farmers’ Union has done, but I can point to nothing definite that has been achieved, nothing outstanding for which we are given the credit; what we have accomplished is in many respects negative : we have steadfastly watched the interests of farmers—scrutinised legislation and .criticised

freely where there were derogatory clauses ; many of the effects of our work are not apparent to the ordinary farmer, but they are none the less real.” In these words Captain F. Colbeck, of Morrinsville, sometimes referred to as the “ Father of the Farmers’ Union,” who recently retired from the Auckland executive after many years of service, summed up the impression of his long association with the movement, in an interview with a Morrinsville Star reporter.

“It should not for one minute be thought that the union has not justified its existence—that -without it the primary industries and the farming community would be in the position they are to-day,” Captain Colbeck \ hastened to add. “ But we have not been given the credit for a lot,>we

have done, and legislative measures passed for the relief of farmers, instituted primarily by the union, have been claimed by the Government as spontaneous efforts on their own part. Critics, who numbered farmers in their midst, have for this reason pointed the finger of scorn at the union—regarded its work as futile because of its intangibilty.” 4

The amount of work done by the ) Auckland executive was astounding, the captain went on. The meeting sat from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., then from 7.30 p.m. to midnight, and often the bulk of business called for a return to the table the following morning. This went on month after month. The problems facing farmers were fully discussed and remedial measures were attempted through letters to Cabinet Ministers, interviews and through other .channels. Sometimes the requests were granted, sometimes they were not. Of this aspect of the work few were aware. Draft bills were considered, and frequently the representations of the union resulted in clauses being deleted or added to the benefit of farmers.

The union had had a big fight to get freehold tenure of land in place I of short-term leases in the Massey J regime. Their efforts had been sucI cessful and legislation had been introduced, but the credit was claimed | by the Government. “We saw it was f a necessary reform, and as We have the interests of farmers at Heart we ) carried it into effect,” was the line taken by the Government. A further rise in tariffs had been prevented by the intervention of the union. “ God

knows they are high enough now,” said Captain Colbeck, “ but we stopped their reaching impossible limits.”

umirs. Another reform was the abolition of the old sheep tax of £1 for every 1000 sheep. That the petrol tax had been introduced was, Captain Colbeck claimed, due to the pressure brought to bear on the Government by the farmers through the union. The farmers’ bank or Rural Intermediate Credits Act was another product of the agitation of the union in the interests of farmers. Here again the Government stepped in and claimed that the legislation had arisen through its efforts to help the farmers. The establishment of co-opera-tive dairy companies was an achievement of the Farmers’ Union through its consistent advocacy of co-opera-tion among its members. “We have had and are still having a. strenuous fight against the tariff,” said Captain Colbeck. “ What has handicapped us is the fact of Southern wheat farmers being protected, and this is always thrown in our I teeth when we ask for a reduction. The two vital questions that have occupied my attention since I have been associated with the union are cheap money and cheap goods. The latter would be brought about by lightening the tariff burden. The farmer J alone is unable to pass on tariff charges as he has to sell his goods at | world’s parity. With cheap money | and cheap goods other problems will j adjust themselves. What is killing J farming is that prices are so high' that farmers are unable to buy.” I