e Unity of farmers for direct action
was the central theme

of Alberta Farmers’

Union convention .

_ by :
ALEX MILLER & W. FARMER

and ended on a note of triumph and confidence, It went b
delegates and 400 visiting delegates attendin
Strike victory and determined to thrash out a policy

dt hee fifth annual convention of the Alberta Farmers’ Unio

fronting them. Prior to the convention scores of re
pressed in them and throughout the conventi

posal for merger with the UFA
and AFA, to retain the direct
action principle of the AFU
constitution,

tt

’ Seated on the platform -when
the convention opened, in a
Place of highest honor, were a
“number of farmers who had
.Served jail sentences for strike
activity. When introduced to the
delegates, they received a thun-
derous ovation which in itself
set the tone for the entire con-
vention.

’ In his presidential address,
‘Carl’ Stimpfle dealt with . the
history of the farm movements
: have developed through

of struggle in Alberta, He

sd the delegates that the

So was founded on a set of
— les which must not be
dost sight of or lost in merger

_ with other bodies not representa-

_ tive of the farmer on the land.

The most hotly debated reso-
tution before the convention to
which 12 hours’ discussion . was

_ devoted, called for . amalgama-
_ tion of the three Alberta farm
erganizations: the Alberta Far-
mers’ Union, with a direct mem-
bership now of 30,000 farmers,
the United Farmers of Alberta,
composed principally of  co-
cperative groups and having but
a small direct membership, and
‘the Alberta Federation of Ag-
viculture with no direct mem-
‘bership and composed of com-
modity and commercial groups,
the monied interests who derive
wealth through agriculture. —

Under the proposed merger,
the three groups would be
. known as the Alberta ¥Federa
tion of Agriculture, according to
the draft constitution drawn up

by a contact committee repre-

' senting the three organizations

to come under the merger.
‘This draft constitution did not

include the three basic principles
of the AFU—the restriction of

.

membership to bonafide farmers; ©

the right eto take direct action,
and the right to affiliate with
trade union, Legion or other si-
milar bodies. The majority of the
AFU members, as they expressed
themselves in the
rightly felt. that under such a
merger the AFU would lose its
identity—the are immensely proud
of their name, and place tremen-
dous importance on ‘union.’ Nei-
ther were they prepared to con-
sider “for a moment forfeiting
their right to take direct ac-
tion or to associate with labor
and other bodies,

Their response to the propos-
ed castration of the farmers’
fighting organization was round-
ly given in a three-to-one vote
against the merger.

At that same time, there was
clear understanding of the im-
portance of unity and the neces-
sity for it, but they would not
have unity at any price. They
made it clear they were not op-
posed to the cooperatives but
would continue to give them

full support and seek unity in
action with them wherever and
whenever possible.

In a clear-cut statement, Ray
Garneau, member of the board
of directors, presented the case
against amalgamation. The re-
ception of his statement indi-
cated that he had expressed the
matter to the complete satis-
faction of the majority of the
delegates.

[AVING gone down to defeat
on the question of the mer-
ger, the reactionary bloc in the
convention attempted by every
trick and argument to de-

feat the resolution calling for

the formation of a National

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — PAGE 10

on was to preserve the fighting quality of

convention,

Farmers’ Union. (Here, too,
the delegates were insistent on
the word ‘union.’) The delegates
favored this proposal again by
a majority vote, understanding
that creation of such a body
based on direct membership can
mean real unity of the farmers
in the three prairie provinces.

It is true, unfortunately, that
the reactionary group in the con-
vention was led by adherents
of the CCF right wing, who

were in opposition to their fel-

low CCF’ers, President Stimpfle
and Secretary Boutillier, both of
whom were unreservedly op-

posed to the suggested merger.

A valuable lesson was thus pro-
vided, one that the rank-and-
file of the AFU and the CCF
will not be slow to learn.

_ President ‘Carl J. Stimpfle, who
tops six feet and is himself
a farmer-on-the-land, was re-
elected with an overwhelming
majority. To the rank-and-file
Stimpfle symbolizes the basic
principles on which the AFU
rests. He enjoys the esteem and
full support of the 30,000 mem-
bers because they have found in
him a "man with | courage
and ability who led them
through their strike and who
will continue to leag them
through the difficult times
ahead,

Also elected to the executive
were Ray Garneau, of Wain-
wright, conscientious, staunch,
and respected for his militant
leadership during the strike and
in the convention; Henry Young
of Millet and R. N. Russell of
Athabasca, both of whom have

eyond the expectations of AF
 what-was an inspiring gathering,
and line of action with which to mee
solutions had poured into the AFU office.

the AFU by defeating the pro-

n held in Edmonton, Alberta, January 7 to 11, began
U leaders, with 698 accredited
primed by their non-delivery
t the many problems still con-

The most ardent desire ex-

a wealth of experience in the
farm movement and who have
already made substantial contri-
butions to the AFU.

A fraternal delegate to receive
special welcome and attention
was 4 representative of farmers
in Manitoba, lately organized
into the © Manitoba Farmers’
Union. On their behalf the dele-
gate said he had come to get
a lead and some help from the
farmers of Alberta. He empha-
tically declared that the farmers
of Manitoba need and will have
an organization composed of
bonafide farmers, similar to the

- AFU.

He cited, as a warning, the
experience of the -Manitoba far-
mers who allowed themselves to
become submerged in the’ Man-
itoba Federation of Agriculture,
which is not a direct -member-
ship organization, and which had
strongly denounced the Alberta
farm strike. : ‘

E minister of agriculture

came in for severe criticism,
particularly on the deplorable
weed situation on the farms and
along the highways. One’ dele
gate stated that farms which
have been worked for 40 years
are in a ruinous state. Many are
being abandoned or will be if
nothing is done. “Thousands of
dollars are being spent on weed
inspectors,” he said, “with little
or no results.”

Labor-farmers unity was em-_
phasized again and again as a
' decisive necessity. Labor repre-
sentatives

who addressed the

convention were President Cush-
ing of the Calgary Trades and
Labor Council, Secretary Tom
Roberts of the Edmonton Labor
Council; and President C. Hamp-
son of the Packing-house Work-
ers’ Union. All received an en-
thusiastic reception.

One special resolution which
came before the delegates on
the second day of the conven-
tion, and which was carried al-
most unanimously, arose from
the announcement by Hon. A.
J. Hooke, provincial secretary of
the Alberta govérnment, that he
intends to impose strict political

censorship on all movies distri-

buted by the National Film
Board and others. os

Hooke, according to the ‘press,
asserted that “Communist prop-
ganda” was being circulated
through certain NFB films and
declared his intention of de-
manding a full transcript in
English for all films in lan-
guages other than English and
French. :

The AFU delegates were up
in arms and declared in their
resolution of protest that Hooke’s
proposals were a violation of
democratic principles, They up-
held the right of the public to
see and hear for themselves any
films they choose and to pass:
judgment. It was a fitting an-
Swer to the provincial secretary,
and one he will do well to
heed.

The splendid spirit of enthusi-
asm and confidence, the keen
appreciation of united struggle, .
in evidence throughout the five-
day gathering holds great prom-
ise for future victories. The lead-
ership and membership of the
AFU have the support and con-
fidence of each other. Nothing
must be alloweg to impair that
mutual trust,

The convention was an historic
event. Under wise leadership
and in firm unity the farmers
of Alberta will continue to write
into the history of the farmers’
movements in the West some
of its brightest pages,

FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 1947