Abstract:
The writer wishes to point out that this thesis deals specifically with the Farmers' Union as a political pressure group. Consequently no attention has been paid to the large body of Farmers' Union agitation of a non-political nature. The issue of rural education, although it might be argued to have political implications, has been omitted because it was an agitation which the Farmers' Union shared with other agricultural organisations.
The writer wishes to thank the staff of Federated Farmers of New Zealand in Wellington for making available their offices and the minute books of the early Farmers' Union; also the staffs of the Alexander Turnbull Library and the General Assembly Library, for their assistance; also Prof. W.H. Oliver, Dr R.W. Chapman and Mr W.J. Gardner for helpful suggestions; finally the writer wishes to thank Mrs Gray the typiste.
