AUCKLAND FARMERS' UNION CONFERENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8125, 2 June 1906, Page 2

AUCKLAND FARMERS' UNION CONFERENCE.

SOME STRONG LANGUAGE. pkb mess association Auckland, June 1. At the Farmers' Union Conference to-day, Mr C. R. Phillips, president, said it had been stated that the Farmers' Union should abstain from politics.' This could not be the advice of a friend, as it was absolutely necessary that they should take an interest in politics, not party politics, but farmers' palitios, Anyone who said that the Farmers' Union was an Opposition organisation and was being used to oust the prosent Government was saying what was not true. They had always put their views properly and clearly before the Government, and had kept away from party feeling. The speaker then referred to the question of adopting the Parliamentary franchise for loans, polls and county and road board elections.

Upoa this question they must pass strong .resolutions, and inform the Government that they were strongly opposed to the step, and if it was ; passed, they would have to consider what ether measures they would have 1 to take to protect themselves. If they 1 could not prevent such a measure . passing through the House of Representatives, they would have to use j their strength of hand and trueness of spirit to protect what they believed to 1 be right. If it ever became law, farm- ' ers would be justified in resorting to force to prevent it from being carried out. (Applause.) The farmers were the manhood of the colony, and surely they were not going to allow their manhood to be crushed by an Act of Parliament. (Applause.) He said this/speaking with a full sense of his position. (Applause.) Later on Mr Flanigan, of the Drury branch, moved, " Seeing the political 1 activity of all organisations in the < towns, it is desirable that farmers ' should give more attention to politics." ' Mr Phillips said there were three ' questions upon which farmers, no * matter which party they favored, were 1 agreed, and those were : option of the > freehold, revenue tariff, and the restric- ' tion of the franchise for loan polls and ' the election of road boards and county ! counoils to ratepayers. Tho suggestion } was that the Farmors' Union should j support a party (separate from the * present parties), bound to these prin- ? ciples. They should oppose any party * who would not give them the three 1 things they wanted. The motion was e carried, and it was also resolved that ' " This meeting of farmers strongly protests against the proposal ot the Go- ■* vernment to extend looal franchise, and pledges itself to resist by every means e in its power tho threatened attempt to 1 give voting powers to non-ratepayers." " The motion was carried.