FARMERS' UNION.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13743, 26 May 1910, Page 8

FARMERS' UNION.

CONFERENCE AT MARTON

The' annual conference of the A\el : lington Provincial District FarmersUnion ooened at Marton on Monday (says the "Post"). About fifty delegates were present, and Mr J- G. Wilson presided. After Mr "v». .JBirch had welcomed the delegates to Marton. a resolution of regret at the death of the King, and ot sympathy with the Royal Family, was passed. Mr Wilson, in the course of his presidential address, spoke oi the historical associations of Marton, which was named after Captain Cook's birthplace. In 1819, ho said, 240,000 acres were bought from the .Maori.-, for £"2500. There was no unearned increment in those days. Reterring to the ebirv industry, he said dairy tanners we're not up to date; cows were being" milked which were not worth the trouble. Farmers should *tan testing associations, then pasteurising and skim milk should be taken, -n hand. The peicentagc of pigs afflicted with tuberculosis was far too great. As to the season generally, farmers could congratulate therm-selves, and wool had almost recovered itself. Tins product, represented one-third the total exports of the country. Dairy produce had also been extraordinarily high in price. Wellington, however, was poor in cereal crops. The yield had been less than expected, but prices were on the rise. Turnips had had also been a disappointment. Carelui investigation into the ravages, ot blight should be made. Ceincerning frozen meat, tho picsident said everything pointed te beef being considerably higher in future than it had been in the past. America had not enough to supply its own demands, end was going into the Argentina to buy up frozen meat companies there, in order to supply the future needs of the United States. The methods of dealing with flax had been improved, and it was hoped it would still be a profitable trade. The Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company was doing very well, and he hoped the union would make a most proifounced protest against tlvs policy of State departments exchanging information. One did not know where the thing would end if a strong protest were not made now. It was a matter for congratulation that the Union had been the first organised body to affirm the necessity of compulsory military training.

The Land Bill brought down last year was disappointing to the union, continued Mr Wilson. Sir Joseph Ward tried to please both sides, and succeedeel in pleasing none. It was a curious thing that all leaseholders (save Mr A. W. Hogg) in the House represe-nteel city constituencies. The Union wanted to see every farmer with his own freehold, because it knew the evils which sprung from iJie leasehold in the Okl Country, and did net want to see them perpetuated here. . A Land Bill wns promised in the coming session, anel the Union would look forward with interest to it. It was a matter of great regret that more was not being done in regard to the settlement ot native land. If the Native Minister would .ho>v more activity in future than he did in the past, this blot on settlement would be less in evidence than was the caso to-day.

■Mr Wilson spoke of the need for amendment of Crown Suits Act, and concluded by expressing the hope that the conference would be a very successful one, and that the small farmers would realise what tho Union wa-s doing for thorn . ■ . Mr Newman, M:P., also welcomed the delegates to the district ; and declared that the Fanners' Union had never held a stronger position in NewZealand than it diel to-day. One would have thought that after tho lesson taught at last election the Press would have altered its opinion. The Union was quietly but persistently forcing its way into a sound position in this country. He believed, however, that people in the country had a long fight m front of them before they would got the freehold. The city* electorates were represented by some very able men, who would fight to tho last resource against*tho option of freehold. Despite the fact that the freeholders in the House numbered fifty-four, they could not get what they wanted. Mr W. J. Birch: You wero outgeneral led.

Mr Newman: We admit it, but perhaps that will not occur again He concluded by urging, the farmers not to cease the fight for the freehold.

Among the remits adoptoel was ono dealing with the system of land valuation. The question caused considerable discussion, and a motion was carried favouring taxation being raised on the unimproved value rather than on the capital value, and that valuations should be made periodically in not less than four-year intervals, and'that, a fair and reasonable valuation on improvements should be allowed ny valuers.

The conference adopted a motion urging on tho Department the necessity of putting into active operation a clause in the Noxious Weeds Act prohibiting tho sale of chaff, cats, and all kinds of farm seecm containing noxious weed seeds. The delegates were entertained at a banquet, tho. Hon T. Mackenzie, Minister of Agriculture, being present. CANTER BURY~PRO VIXCT A L CONFERENCE. The Provincial Conference of the North Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union will be opened to-day at 11 a.m. in the A. and P. Association rooms, and will bo continued to-morrow. The- report of the executive sets out the representations made to the Minister of Railway* in regard to the penalty imposed for infringement of the rule re weight of grain sent by rail. The rate of fine was changed to 10s per ton, but the. executive protested that os ,per ton would be ample. The regulation applied to all farm produce, hut its operation had been suspended for the present so far as potatoes were concerned, pending further enquiries. The executive had .protested against the new system of centralising the examinations for Standard VI., as great injustice was done to children in outlying districts, and invited expressions of opinion from provincial executives and Education Boards throughout the Dominion. Many replies were received, expressing various opinions. Finally, the whole matter was referred to the Dominion executive for their consideration. With* respect to the recommendation of the Conciliation Board to the Arbitration Court, that stook threshing should be prohibited, the executive protested against the rule. The action taken by certain farmers, under the leadership of the piesklent of the executive, had been successful in preventing the.adoption of tho' rule. On the jicav system .of collecting grain statistics coming iirto operation, the executive expressed approval, provided the furnishing of the information asked for were made compulsory. Later, when it was found that not only was there no compulsion, but that only a few farmers were asked for information, and that both yield and. acreage were arrived at by guess work, they came to the conclusion that information so obtained would be too unreliable to be of any value. The executive noted with satisfaction that, partly owing to the agitation of sb'ep farmers, the late hours at wool sales had now been discontinued. Two matters which had unfortunately been rather lost sight of owing to pressure of other subjects are (a) the prooosal to proride enrolment books for the use of employers and employees in agricultural work, and to establish a Labour Agency; and <b) the question of dispcsiim of surplus wheat. The executive felt that it was a subject for congrat illation that a number of branches o? the Union, with a provincial executive to control them, had beeti established in South Canterhurv. The statement of accounts showed that there was I a balance to credit of £227 lGs lid.