254 WHEAT PRODUCTION IN NEW ZEALAND 
For instance, it assisted in successfully fighting an 
attempt to establish Unionism among the agricultural 
labourers. Farm labourers ‘‘who are not members of 
or contribute to, any society whose aims and objects 
are inimical to the farming community’? may become 
members of the Union. The principle involved here is 
obvious. Then, again, one of the planks of its platform 
is that ‘‘no interference with contracts 
should be enacted.’’ Does this signify that our present 
system of contract is the best possible? 
In the revised statement of the objects and platform 
of the Union there is no mention of education or scien- 
tific farming. Members of the Union are proud of their 
activities in this direction in the past. In presidential 
addresses and in other ways it has been the policy of the 
Union to encourage both agricultural education from 
an early age, and scientific farming as expounded at 
the experimental farms and agricultural colleges. At 
present it is more than ever necessary that the Union 
should continue its labours in this way. The War has 
demonstrated to New Zealand the importance of her 
rural industries, and it is probably no exaggeration to 
say that, pro rata, her wealth has increased more and 
her prosperity has been greater during the past three 
years than those of any other belligerent. The dissemin- 
ation of knowledge on the science and art of agriculture, 
on rural economics, (hitherto almost untouched), and 
the general enlightenment of the public in matters 
relating to the rural industries, should form a cardinal 
feature of the activities of the Union. Greater oppor- 
tunity should be taken of the meetings and conferences 
of the Union to the reading and discussion of papers 
by experts. This is the proper sphere of the expert. 
His investigations should be laid before those who have 
had practical experience in the matter. He can give 
information much less on the art than on the science 
