THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, JULY 31, 1911. FARMERS AND POLITICS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10299, 31 July 1911, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, JULY 31, 1911. FARMERS AND POLITICS.

The Dominion. Conference of the : Farmers' Union has' decided to engage actively in the political cam-' and to support those candidates, irrespective of party, who will pledge themselves to the Union platform. The farmers are quite entitled to adopt this course, though tii y at once" narrow down poliitios to a particular groove. Five questions are to be put to candidates. The first of these affects the tenure < f the l land, and ishould not be difficult to ■aiiswer. The second requires that only ratepayers shall vote on local government matters in counties and (road, districts. This will! be more difficult to answer. A candidate will' naturally la«k himself if it is rigM that the'.universal franchise shall exist in regard to general and municipal government. If it is, then Iby What., process-<>f reasoning can it. be argued thiat the property qualificaItiion, .slilouH !be retained for counties and Toad districts? Jif a candidate •admits that the property qualification is good (for counties, how -can he consiiistently 'Support the universal franchise for general and municipal government? The {farmers have placed too big an order before candidaltea in. this question., The third plank in the platform is that no further land tax or protective duty be imposed. This would he easy .to &n-

swer, if an assurance wcro given • that no further demands upon the exchequer would be made .by the farmers. But if more money be req in/id for defence—which is sltrowgly approve,., .the Farmers' Union—or for other how is it proposed that this money siia.ll be raised? The .substitution of a graduated income Tax for the land tax and protective duties would meet the case. But are the farmers prepared to accept the alternative? if 'they r.ro not, their platform in. regard to taxation can hardly bo sustained. The. fourth plank, which requires the substitution, of the tender system for the co-operative system in the ex r penditure of the public works furrl, oannot bo taken exception to. Few who have noted the oxtra.vaga v es and abuses which have grmvi: up under the co-operative system could be found to icaipport its cot in *- an.De.' The ( fifth, and last plank in the platform, is of a flar-reaenhg character, it demands that legislation pf a penal, or socialistic charactor, tending to' monopolise to dio State the means of production, :liitrihution- 'and. exchange, shall >be strenuously resisted. In so far as this affects ordinary business transactions, it as on the right lines. Dfaxe are, however, exceptional cases' which require exceptional treatment. Would the farmers' object to the establishment of, State seed depots, from which, only pure seed would be retailed? Do (they object entirely to the State ownership of land, railways, Post Offices, life insurance, or Saving® Baoiiksi? All legislation is, more or less of a penal character, and most of it has a ;sociaii-:tic tendency. Do the farmers wish to suspend al' legislation ? If ■> ot, the fifth plank in their platfom is meaningless.. Altogether, the Farmers' Union ha® presented just about as wealc and puny a case as it were possible to conceive. Wiiy does it not adopt one straight-out platform, and be done with it? Why does it not ask candidates, "If returned to Parliament, will you use your best endeavours to promote the interests jf tire primary producer, and to least any attempt to encroach, unnecessarily upon his rights and privieges?;' No candidate for Parliament •,ould be reasonably asiked to go fur•her than that.