THE FARMERS’ UNION.

Shannon News, 23 June 1922, Page 3

THE FARMERS’ UNION.

ITS NEEDS AND FUTURE. ADDRESS BY MR POLSON. An inspiring address by the Dominion President of the New Zealand Farmers ’ Union, Mr W. J. Poison, was delivered at the recent Conference at Wanganui. The speech was listened to with rapt attnetion, though well interpersed with hearty applause. Mr Poison made a .great plea for the co-opera-tion of all farmers in their struggle for a just reward for their labours. Times had never been more critical than the present and never had their been greater need for a strong and unanimous union embracing all farmers. In introducing Mr Poison to the conference, the president, Mr Morrison, made very flattering references to the services whi|;h Mr Poison had given to the farming community, referring to his great ability and to his untiring energy in visiting every part of New Zealand at his own expense.

AGRICULTURAL BANK COMING. Mr Poison was heartily applauded on rising to speak. He began by saying a few words about the work of the Union during the past 20 years. It had, he said, done an enormous amount of work of which the majority of farmers know very little of what was being done, but he was in a position to say that the Government was now in communication with the Union regarding any possible Bill which would be

brought down. When an agricultural bank was an accomplished fact few » would realise what part the Union had played in bringing it about. It would have done an enormous amount of work for which it would never be fully thanked, by farmers in conference or in the public Press.

CO-OPERATION AND POOLING,

Proceeding to the question of eo-ope

ration, he. referred to the four planks—handling, shipping, marketing, and financing of farmers produce. The Union was not launching out on an experiment in asking for co-operation. It was only following the lead, of European countries which were linked together in a huge co-operation federation which was of great benefit to the producers and doing things which New Zealand farmers did not realise. America to-day realised fully the absolute necessity of establishing co-operation among the producers. It had been found that for the 40 leading commodife'es on the farm the farmer had been paying a higher rate than he received for his leading products, so that the American farmer came to realise the need for cooperation and every branch of farming was now included. There was a compulsory pooling system. The American Farm Grower's Federation eschewed politics altogether. It found it could gain its object much better than: if it went into, politics. The New Zealand farmer would do better too than go in for •‘class’ politics. (Applause).

MEAT POOL AND COMPULSION. He claimed that the Farmers’ Union had more to do with the establishment of the Meat Pool than any politician. It had doubted if the Government

would make it compulsory and had

looked for other means, but while the Government realised that it was necessary it had given the opinion to the Board, “Here is where the Act is going to fail, if it does fail, for the, Board has been given the power to make it compulsory if it thinks fit,’’’ said Mr

Poison. Some of the present Board did not favor compulsion, he said, and it was up to the Union to see that its desires were not thwarted and it should take the necessary steps during the coming session to see that compulsion was applied. The other questions—shipping, and finance—would not succeed unless compulsion were applied. The Trusts had to be fought. Unless the Trusts and the speculators were cut out they would come in and take the cream, and leave the rest for the pool, which would at once become discredited and away would got the voluntary pool. With a compulsory pool, they could dictate to the shipping. /

DAIRY PRODUCE POOL

Speaking on the dairying side of the pool, Mr Poison said the organisations were engaged in bringing about a pool and had the Farmers' Union's blessing in so doing. Lord NoHkeliffe, when in Auckland, had asked why the British could not get such good butter at Home. We produce the best butter in the world, said Mr Poison. The Danes had to feed their stock for eight or nine months of the year so that in spite of our handicap of distance New Zealand could put a better article on the market. While Lord Northcliffe was speaking in New Zealand, New Zealand butter went up in price in London. Danish butter had always brought higher prices than New Zealand. Tho Danes were able to get the extra price because they had co-operation. The London merchant had suddenly discovered New Zealand butter was nearly as good as Danish and up went the price. It was peculiar that this was not found out |ill there was talk of a pool. The

London merchant must think the New Zealand farmer was pretty green, said Mr Poison, for we knew that the merchant had been blending our butter with others and then selling it as the best. COMPETITION FIGHT. It must be apparent to those studying the situation that there must be very severe competition in the future. The Danish Consul had pointed out that Siberian butter was coming back on to the British market. It had been out entirely since the beginning of the war. With the Genoa Conference on, it seemed there was a prospect of Siberia coming back into its own in a few years’ time. Britain at the present time was consuming more butter and cheese than prewar, and Siberia had still to come back. There would be intense competition and tho Now Zealand farmer would have to organise, have high class farming, and economy at the other end, if we were to succeed.

HEAVY TAXATION. New Zealand had to have lower costs of production in many ways. There had been a taxation commission set up. The reduction of taxation was a policy matter, but anomalies could be removed. The Union had nominated three of the commissioners, and they were specially good men: Messrs Leigh Hunt, E. A. Campbell, and Bitchener, M.P. The Union was asking that farmers’ incomes should bo assessed just as business men's are, one profit set off against a loss, etc. A good suggestion had been made in Taranaki. That was that if a loss were made one year it should be set off against the next year’s profit. It was a fairer way than the present. The Union recognised that farmers were not the only victims of taxation and were not going to Wellington to ask for any nonsensical request. They should set their faces against any cranky scheme and only ask for what was fair and reasonable.

’WARE BOLSHEVIKS. In New Zealand we had a Bolshevik organisation which was seeking by double-edged proposals to bring relief to a certain section, and to disrupt the farmers. Mr Poison proceeded to refer to the movement among dairy farmers and stated that an organiser had been in this district in the last few weeks trying to form another union, The object of this scheme was not thoroughly understood, said Mr Poison. It came into being soon after something was said about an effort by Labour to effect a coup d’tat.' It sprang’up at the door of a man who was in sympathy with Labour and it was curious that it sprang up after the farmers had declared themselves for law and order. The organiser was stating that ho was meeting with great success, but as a matter of fact only one branch of the dairy farmers’ Union had been formed in Taranaki. It had eight members and not one had paid his subscription. It was somewhat similar in the Waikato. “Before you have anything to do with the Dairy Farmers’ Union,’’ declared Mr Poison in conclusion, “investigate it pretty closely. It is seeking to split up the Farmers’ Union.”

PRESENT BANKING SYSTEM CRACKED.

The Union was out for an Agricultural Bank such as they had in Denmark, United States of America, Germany, and other places. New Zealand lacked financial machinery such as those other places enjoyed, for the New Zealand banking system had cracked under the strain of the last 12 months. There was every probability that a Bill would be brought down next session dealing with agricultural banking. Bill would, be properly scrutinised by the Farmers' Union before benig approved. Had wc had such a bank now, said Mr Poison, farmers would have been able to hold on to their wool instead of having to sacrifice it. A penny a pound on wool meant a million to the country. * TRADE WITH THE EAST. Mr Poison went on to refer to trade with the East. Commissioners had re-, cently gone to the East where an enormous trade could be done. The people lived there on what came out of cold store. There were 40,000,000 in Java alone. But he considered there was little good in sending Trade Commissioners until they had shipping. Other countries were subsidising shipp ng and New Zealand would have to do the same with State ships.

FIGHT FOR EXISTENCE. In concluding, Mr Poison sa : d that never had greater issues been at stake it was never more important to :;ce eye to eye than now. New Zealand had a great handicap in the enormous distance by sea from her markers, and fierce competition which could only be combated by co-operation. New Zealand farmers had to adopt the policy of the farmers of U.S.A. All New Zealand farmers should support the Union. Those who now belonged to it should all help on the fight in which they were engaged. (Prolonged applause).