FARM MORTGAGES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 51, Issue 135, 20 March 1931, Page 6

FARM MORTGAGES

BOARDS TO ARBITRATE.

FARMERS' UNION SUGGESTION. \ DECISIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE. The Mid-Canterbury Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union met this afternoon, when the president (Mr G. Ta|t) presided over a good attendance ol' delegates. ' Mr R. W. Franks said he had spoken to Mr R. McGillivray (Fields Superintendent at Christchurch) regarding the analysis of lime for moisture contest, and he had been informed that while hundreds of tests had been carried out for carbonate of lime, no tests for moisture content had been carried out. This discounted the contehtion made at the annual conference of the Farmers’ Union. Mr A. P. Bruce said that the farmers should know just what they were using, and the executive should ask Mr McGillivray to supply a list of the analyses of. limes manufactured by various companies. Mr Franks seconded a motion to this effect, and it was' carried. The Mayfield Agricultural apd Pastoral Association wrote that at the last meeting of its committee members had discussed the possibility of forming small boards to arbitrate between mortgagor and mortgagee in cases of distress. It was thpught that if such boards were • given Government recognition their services would be of great value to the farming community. The committee felt that as the year advanced, something of the above-men-tioned nature- ', would be urgently needed. It had communicated with Mr T. D. Burnett, M.IP., on the matter, urging that if opportunity offered lie should give the proposal his supJ port. _ The President said everyone fully realised that something of the nature proposed should be brought about. A Bill on the subject would soon be before Parliament, but the Mayfield Association suggested a local board. HC thought the local Intermediate Credit Committee could well handle the TVork. He would not hesitate to place his affairs before the committee. Mr R. W. Franks moved that the proposal should be supported, and that Mr- David Jones, M.P., be asked to further it, and that the directors of the Intermediate Credit Committee in Ashburton be asked to undertake the work. f?

-The directors are Messrs H. C. B. With ell, W. T. Lill, A. Gregory and J.- Carr.

Mr A. Moore said the matter should lie' taken up immediately, as there were frequent cases that needed attention. He seconded the motion. The motion was carried. The Dominion Fertiliser Co., Ltd., Dunedin, wrote acknowledging the executive’s letter drawing attention to the fact that it considered the new schedule of Heights on fertilisers inequitable. The company stated that it probably would be difficult to get a more equitable system than that at present in force. No farmer bad now to - pay more than os per ton railage on his fertilisers, which, they must admit, was a very considerable concession. In connection with the same matter, Ivempthorne, • Prosser and Co., Ltd., Dunedin, wrote that the executive’s representations would have the company’s careful consideration, and the result would be advised as early as possible. Mr W. Hammond said he did not know what the trouble was all about, as farmers had never had fertilisers so cheap. The Dominion Secretary forwarded a-copy of a reply sent by the Minister of Customs regarding tariffs on tractor spares and tractor lubricating oil. The Minister stated that the question of the duty payable on oils would receive careful consideration on the first occasion on which the Customs tariff was being revised. The duty had been removed altogether on spare parts of tractors under the British preferential tariff, aud the duty under the general tariff had been increased by only i per cent.,, which was equivalent to -three-fifths.of a penny for every £1 of dutiable value of the goods. It would therefore seem that the executive was tinder some misapprehension respecting the duty payable on spare parts for tractors. A member; He is not worrying about tractors just now! * The letter was received. A circular letter regarding the progress of the Intermediate Rural Credit system in New Zealand was received from the Dominion Executive. It was evident that the increasing from £IOOO to £2OOO of the maximum loan which may he granted had made the system appeal more strongly to sheepfarmors and grain-growers, and the number of applications for loans now being received from these classes of farmers was’ much greater. »