NEW ZEALAND FARMERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 183, 2 August 1923, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND FARMERS.

DOMINION CONFERENCE. I CONTROL OF HEAVY YTRAFFIC. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. £ The annual conference of the New p Zealand Farmers' Union was continued B to-day. c Mr. 5. L. Marshall (Marton) moved: h " That owing to the great damage caueed t to roads by modern methods of traffic, h for which ratepayers were called on to p pay by increased rates on their proper- c ties, the. County Conference be urged \, to act without further delay by regulat- r ing traffic as follows: (1) By levying a i just and reasonable license fee on all 1 motor vehicles plying for hire or used for t the carriage of good.*-, (2) limiting the a weight of loads to bo carried: (3) limit- r ing the speed of such vehicles." The j motion was carried. t BACK BLOCKS EDIVATIOX. ? In moving a remit, •That Govern- <j ment bu requested to make arrangements _ so that all <-hil Ircn in back blocks can s be given efficient education up to and including the sixth standard, and thai j school* should be amalgamated where 0 possible," MrAV. \V. Mulholland (Dar- h field) stated that they recognised it was £ impossible for them to have schools £ taught by half a dozen teaehe're who were I „ specialists in their various departments, t or that the education gained in the t ] country could be comparable with that r given in the cities, under existing condi- v tions. The founding of consolidated } school* was- most urgent, and fraugiit |t with great importance for country chil- j dren. The remit was passed. t EFFECT OF ARBITRATION AWARDS. " "It is absolutely impossible to carry « out farming operations under an ffArbi- • tration Court award," said ~S\r. A. A. j { Ross (Auckland), when moving all employees in agricultural and pastoral industries be exempted from the g operations of the Arbitration Court Act." j Mr. G. P. Johnston (Gore) seconded the remit, which was adopted. A motion was carried as follows: — "Considering that the present method of , arriving at the unimproved value of a land is faulty in that insufficient con- t eideration is given to such matters as f liming, manuring, and good farming 1 generally, and this results in certain 1 cases in inequitable raising of unini- I proved values as a direct result of t energetic handling and capable manage- % ment, we therefore ask that in making > valuation full consideration be given to » all classes of improvements affecting ' the selling value of the land." ' OTHER REMITS ADOPTED. The following remits were adopted:— Southland: "That the Government be , strongly urged to undertake without : i unnecessary delay an adequate scheme of j J immigration and land settlement so as | to lake full advantage of the Imperial < Knr-ire Settlement Act, and develop the waste lands of the Dominion." , Auckland: "T&ftt the Government be t asked to remove protection on deer, and j allow farmers where they have become a < a menace, to destroy them." Westland: "That the Education , Department be more sympathetic to ) country districts in the building of schools." Auckland: "That it be compulsory for i all vehicles, especially bicycles, to carry head and tail lights after sunset, and j that motor lorries carry reflectors, so that a driver can know -when there is traffic behind wishing to pass." \ Combined P.N. conference: "That the i Election and Polls' Act affecting local authorities lie amended so that any finan. , cittl ratepayers may vote at the election." i Taranaki: "That the Importation of ' timber infested with wood-deeroylng | insects, being a grave menace to the I timber industry of the Dominion, the . Government be requested to control the ' importation of timber." Combined P.N. Conference: "That the ' insertion of a cross against the natue of i the candidate an elector desires to vote < for at local body elections leads to con- . fusion, and that the old method of scratching out names be reverted to." Combined P.N. Conference: "That, in view of the increase of motor npeed trials on public roads; carelessness by drivers of motor vehicles and consequent serious danger to life, the Government be urged to introduce legislation, which will adequately control drivers of motor vehicles. Referred to Automobile Association. Taranaki: "That all votes by workers on questions of disputes afTectinir third parties be taken by secret ballot under supervision of the electoral department." Otago:"That in all schemes of land settlement it be the policy of the Government to provide adequate transport facilities before placing settlers on the land." Auckland: "Where blocks of land are being held for the encouragement of immigration and close settlement, they should be exempt from land tax during such limited time as an approved annual amount of capital is being expended for the purpose of development." Auckland: "That the Government be urged to bring in legislation .facilitating the collection of rates due on native lands." Several complaints were made as to the his;li freights charged by the Railway Department on dairy produce. On the other hand, it was pointed out that the Government had rendered assistance to the dairy industry by arranging for the cheap carriage of butter; in fact, during the war, butter was carried at a rate which did not pay.