NEW ZEALAND FARMERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 166, 15 July 1910, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND FARMERS.

Exclusion of the conference < , (By Telegraph.-?ress Association.) - WELLINGTON, Thursday. «*. ninth annual Dominion Conference \ JZ, gew Zealand Farmers' Union was * ed this afternoon. IMPORTED TIMBER. Tifr H- J- Middleton (Southland) j. "That imported hardwood timber f admitted duty free, and that no dif- ] •-raitial rate be made in the rail car- j %I TZ j, e tween Sew Zealand and imported j 2fer" He said he did not think there j a airy, hope oi getting the Government LAkB any notice of them on this quesS <jjnj local bodies could not possibly i'ffif'jut Australian hardwood. It was j f rioiculous position that the Govern- j - should advance money to local j •Shp- to carry out works and penalise j m V taxing them on the material re- j mrired to build their bridges with. i *Mr Eustace Lane (Hawke's Bay) said j rtfinresent timber industry could hold j feOYfn against the importations even if |L came in duty free. ! Mr F F. HocfclT (riunterville) said A l * 'vrhere they saw an established in- | in vhieh a lar " e : " ,,ount ot : Hatel was invested, beinpc subjected to I i fair competition, they should come to j Russell (Palmerston North) j Jdthat he believed protection worked j La vicious circle. One man was penai- ; •Sd acainst the other, and so it went arid round, and nobody was any .the better for it. The motion was carried. . .LABOUR ON PUBLIC WORKS. Mr H- J- Middleton (Southland) •noved- "That this conference reaffirm ! the- necessity for doing away with the ' B re=ent svsreni of construction ot public , •wirksby'dav or co-operative labour, and • that all* work of any magnitude should j fclet by contract, as being the cheapest j •ad 'test method." The mover said that , 1 'if settlers were responsible for the rate j of interest earned, surely they were justified in protesting against the railways king constructed in the most expensive ilr A. Schmidt (Auckland) said that the cutting of the trees on the Piako Swamp had cost under the co-operative gptem at least £9 an acre, whereas it should not have cost more than £1 or 25/ an acre. He asserted that some of the men employed on the work did not get up until mid-day. 31e motion was carried. RESOLUTIONS. The conference resolved: — "That a suggestion he tfven to the Univergifies of New Zealrnd to establish classes for n»d engineering, and that the mattM te brought under the notice of the Minister for Education." "That the Minister for Railways be approached with a view to securing a more erailable rate on special trains run in connection with country shows and experimental farms, and that the Government be trfisfied with the met cost of the train as gifiir guarantee." "That -this Conference -protests against | fte-present unfair system of suburban j passenger rates on the rail-ways." That the farmer as well as the merdant be supplied with a copy oi the Heights of his produce in return for the tiffing per track paid, for weighing." "That the Government be urged tc take ceo- steps as -will ensure the public safety st dangerous crossings, many crossings bete* so situated that an approaching train emot be seen .from the roadway until . a few yards of the crossing." "'"lhar. the Government be asked to com.xDEssiajany- peiwoßS- tor-damage caused by sjsteliMn railway engines." ''■' s *Qaf the attention of the Conference te-e&tf to the large discrepancy between ' fte smseys voted by Parliament and the rmms. expended." ' "Bst the question, of grants to public suds (Department of -Roads and Bridges) ieUioronglily gone into, and the Minister .tfirPimfic Works approached with a view t/rwi i remodxrlling of the system." "Bat the Minister for Pnblic -Works be that the moneys voted by Parliament be nailsMe within a reasonable time, so fiat the wyrk may -be carried on in the fIHIMUMT Timp." Thatifbe Prime Minister be requested to Insert in his promised fjind Bill clause 01 ot Sic land Bin of last year, providing for tx exchange of. land, for roads or any gAHc purpose." That the Government continue and fergely extend the good work done in concerting the back country with the teleJtaie systems" After consideEahle discussion, it was deeSsd to refer an Auckland remit, suggesting thaia farmers' party be formed, to the tarions branches, to consider the advisebSity of-such-a. proposaL CEhe Conference decided to ask the GoRnnnent to assist any movement having the objecfcotimmigralion of suitable domes-Cc-herps. ' - It was decided to ask candidates at Parnameniaiy elections if they would actively essist In having the optional system of faad tenure made applicable to all Crown bids, lands for settlement laud. It was resolved; -*ncit the farming ininsay should be-directly represented on taibonr board s^* That principles- of bookkeeping and land : end timber measurements should be taught la Staie ■sctools." That the provincial executives thronghfctirtJieT)omiiiioii be formed into systematic Sand, and estate agencies for the benefit of . those :who want to sell, buy, lease, or esChange property, and to financially assist . Ehe union." "That the Government give more favour-fifle-ams&leratiQn to rifle clubs." 'That fhe appointments to- the Civil Service shool4 he made hy a Civil Service ■appointment Boaid." '-Tfcrf' operations of the meteorological ."See shonld be extended by more extea-foe-pnhTicntirm of weather-information." A resolution urging the appointment of to-organiser to increase the union's mem-tesMp-is-to-bereferred to provincial exeennres, I I . , OF OFFICERS. following officers were elected: | | l>Jn!inion president, Mr. J. G. Wilson I (Elms) . vice-president, Mr. G- W. Lead- I j ky (Wakanui) ; advisory committee,' 1 J. a Cooper (Tane), H. J. j ■ KAards (Levin), F. F. Hockly (Hunter- I J? B *' - 0 - McGregor (Masterton) ,- i teasunnvMr. W. J. Birch (Marton). j | .A. vote of thanks wa3 passed to Mr. &•&■ Russell, the retiring treasurer, for I ffls-serviees during the year. Mr. E. C. «<£, the secretary, was complimented j ,I Pon- fhe good work done during the I yea. I I!e HjTATION"TO PRIME SHNISTER. . The delegates to the Farmers' Con- , «Ence waited upon the Prime Minister j (Sr Joseph Ward) to-day, to lay beiore him the various decisions arrived at' «nng their deliberations. Mr. J. G. j I wnson (president) outlined the wishes' I j> f the conference in asking for the freeI hold, and that steps be taken to en--1 ,r a ?? r to do with the recent i Sibling in land by means of the ballot I Ij ?llrther representation, he said, r™ & given to the tenants on the 1 3? b o aT (i s > an d more money spent on! ja&ttjsiaiion. Valuators should go on j i 111 * the y value d, and local] I WW OO6 shou]d he given them. He j against exemption of taxation' given to townspeople against counI -presidents. .*-'-» j I '. JB» Prime Minister said that he had I - A :er ™ tended t° do this, and he thought | | 114 better wait until they saw his 1 C' P °f als ' He bad never said that he j to relieve the towns at the cxi '^t B ° f tie cottnir 7> znd, moreover, he 1 this should, be done.

Mr. Wilson advocated the extension of the telephone system in the country districts. The necessity of establishing a chair of agriculture was touched on, and the hope expressed that if one was established it would not be starved. He asked for the establishment of scholarships in veterinary science. He also drew attention to the question of through railway rates, and the competition of the State Fire Insurance Office with the Farmers' Mutual Offices, and its alleged unfair methods. In replying, the Prime Minister said that some of the matters on which he had been approached were questions of policy, and in the ordinary course would be. submitted to Parliament. He could discuss the land question for a couple of hours, and the proposals of the Government, but that would come on in the House. He recognised the necessity of preventing land gambling, and proposed to submit legislation upon this point. They were going to do a good deal in connection with afforestation. He intended to see what could be done regarding the valuations. The question of railway rates, said Sir Joseph, would he referred to the Minister for Railways. He was glad of the Conference's approval of the defence proposals, a--; it wars very important for the country that -all should do their part to keep this difficult subject completely outside their political world. He shared with them their pleasure at the restoration of the 9d. grants to school committees. There had been a turn of the tide, and without difficulty the whole position had been restored. He had to bo careful about promising to make another appointment of a chemist to the Agricultural Department, because his business was to prevent Departments running up expense if it could be avoided on -practical lines. With regard to a chair of agriculture and scholarships, the Prime Minister said that anything that could be done to help educationally in connection with agricultural matters should be done. He was not at all sure that they should hurriedly avail thmselves of a college outside, even for the education of veterinary surgeons. They should tiy to do some things in their own country, hut they could not keep running up the costs. Mr. Wilson: You could send 10 students over there for about £700 a year. The Prime Minister: I do not know that they could live -over there for that. Mr. Wilson: They must provide for themselves. The Prime Minister said that he thought the amount would be nearer £'3,000 a year. He expected, even in connection with the defence college, that if they could get out with anything like that thc\ would do very well. All these thiuge had to be considered from the utility fcide, ;'.nd their value to the people. He recognised what had been said concerning the Crown Suits Act, but he could not make it retrospective. Continuing, Sir Joseph Ward said that he did not think there had been any breach of confidence existing in the ordinary sense in connection with the State Fire Office. He had investigated the matter some time ago to some extent, and he was perfectly satisfied that there was no person dealing with the lending Department of the State that had his business in any way disclosed. The Governrnent did -not want to injure the Farmers' Mutual" Insurance Company or any other office. The .State office was doing a remarkable business, and had been responsible for lowering the rates. What they had to do was not to allow it to be torn up at both ends. H they did not look after their business they were simply indicating to the world that they were going to coniI mit suicide and help themselves to strangle themselves. This would not do jas a matter of business, and he would have to guard against it. He would see the Minister in charge of the Depart- | ment and the Superintendent of the Advances Department to ascertain how far he could meet the position. The matter of through rates was j under consideration.