FARMERS AND UNIONS

Southland Times, Issue 24818, 10 August 1942, Page 2

FARMERS AND UNIONS

Debate At Edendale Meeting

The records of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union and the New Zealand Dairy Board were debated at a farmers’ meeting at Edendale on Saturday night by Mr George Stevenson, president of the southland Provincial Executive of the Fanners’ Union, Mr John Dunlop, South Island member of the board, and Mr A. C. Park, organizer of the Dairy Farmers’ Union. There vvas an attendance of about 300 district fanners, Mr G. R. Herron being chairman.

“The New Zealand Farmers’ Union today is the only recognized mouthpiece of the farming community, said Mr Stevenson. A voice: No.

It was the only farming organization in New Zealand with branches throughout the country, he continued. Its former president (the Hon. W. J. Polson) was now Minister of Prirnary Production and was most sympathetic to the farming industry. The union was grappling with all problems facing the farmers, and its leaders were prominent in the councils of primary production striving to meet war requirements. Dairy farmers were prominent in the union and no better purpose could be served by organizing them into a. separate union. The raw deal experienced by the dairy farmers was recognized by the Farmers’ Union, which was endeavouring to secure justice for the dairymen. Dairy farmers recogmzed that and almost throughout New Zealand they were absolutely loyal to the Farmers’ Union. Fully 90 per cent, of North Island members of the union were dairy farmers. POINT IN DISPUTE

“We recognize that the farmer has a grievance, but it is not the fault of the Farmers’ Union,” Mr Stevenson said. The Farmers’ Union had done everything possible to obtain justice by constitutional means, and the only conflict between Mr Park and himself was the means whereby justice could be obtained. The Farmers’ Union had succeeded in securing reductions in the cost of fertilizers and railage on fertilizers, and farmers had received a very real benefit through the efforts of the organization. The Edendale branch had given valuable service. “In all my experience I have never known, any recommendation of the dairying committee of our executive to be turned down,” Mr Stevenson said in explaining the operation of the Provincial Executive. “Surely that is better than you could get with an infant organization known as the Dairy Farmers’ Union. You have the backing of the whole of the farming community.” A voice: No, sir.

Mr Stevenson: Yes, sir. The Farmers’ Union was an organization which should be protected and built up into an even more powerful movement, Mr Stevenson said. A splitting up of forces was not wanted. The fanners were now nearer than ever before to a strong united organization with a powerful voice. The suggested Dairy Farmers’ Union was a little like Gandhi. It chose the wrong moment for action. The nation was at war and no one was doing a more important job in the community than the farmer.

“BAD MANAGEMENT” “If it hadn’t been for bad management among those at the top of the tree, including the Farmers’ Union, the Dairy Board and the Government, we would not be here „ tonight,” said Mr Park in reply to Mr Stevenson. Thirteen years ago the pay-out for dairy produce had been about 1/9 per lb. This year it was about 1/7. Farmers’ costs had gone up enormously in that time. Thby had been working under difficulties because the Farmers’ Union had not been doing its job. The great mass of machinery in the organization was all to no avail if it could not put the farmers on their feet. The Farmers’ Union might have made a good job of some things, but it had made a fearful mess of the dairy industry. Mr Stevenson had said that 90 per cent, of the dairy farmers were behind the Farmers’ Union, Mr Park said. It was strange, therefore, that hundreds of dairy farmers had applied for membership in the Dairy Farmers’ Union. He contended that dairying matters had received scant consideration at the annual conference of the Farmers’ Union and that was why he had started to organize the Dairy Farmers’ Union. FARMERS AND POLITICS Most of the executive positions in the Farmers’ Union were held by sheep farmers, Mr Park said. From some of their utterances they appeared to belong to a political clique. Farmers had to go to the Government for higher prices for their produce just as workers had to go to their employers for a rise in wages. The only difference was that the workers went about it in a different way. Until the farmers went for their rights in a similar way they would get nowhere. If the Farmers’ Union had left politics alone the farmers would have done very much better since the war. The present state of affairs was all right for the big farmers, but it was not good enough for the great bulk of the small farmers. “At no stage have I stated that I was out to break the Farmers’ Union,” he said. “Far from it. The Farmers’ Union has a proper function. I feel that if we can get all those who are not members into the Dairy Fanners’ Union we could work together.” DAIRY BOARD DEFENDED Within the last year a new organization known as the Farmers’ Federation had been formed, said Mr Dunlop. There had been a multitude of farming organizations and some had been seeking advantages which were against the interests of others. The workers of New Zealand had been organized into one federation and it had been decided to organize the farmers similarly. Mr Park appeared to approve of the principle of unity being strength, but he appeared anxious to establish another separate organization which would split the farmers to a greater extent than ever before. Mr Dunlop gave an outline of the activities of the Dairy Board during its 20 years of existence, and defended the work of the board for the benefit of the producers. In his reply, Mr Park said the Dairy Board had done good work before the guaranteed price system, but there was no justification for its existence. Mr Dunlop had not mentioned the cheese crate pool, which had resulted in factories having to pay more for crates. All the speakers were asked a number of questions. In reply to an inquiry whether the Farmers’ Union and the Dairy Farmers’ Union would be able to work in harmony, Mr Stevenson said the Farmers’ Union could have nothing to do with an organization with objects such as Mr Park had outlined.-