FARMERS' UNION.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20463, 5 February 1932, Page 11

FARMERS' UNION.

DOMINION executive. YESTERDAY'S BUSINESS. ASSOCIATION TXLEOaAU ) WELLINGTON. February 4. X proposal that all the primary industries i" Xevr Zealand should be jepre»cutctl in one organisation to be jnowa as Pl ' ima T Producers' Fedttltion Executive, was referred to by tit Dominion Executive of tlie Farmffj' Union to-day. It was suggested that there should m n o interference with the working of riie present organisation which would ductus a" matters referred to it, but jjl matters relating to national finance, rating taxation, industrial matters, marketing, or produce and unemployment doaW bc submitted to the Primary Pre deters' Federation Executive for consideration- That executive would then forward it# decisions to the Government M representing the views of the primgrr producers of the Dominion. The proposal is that representation oft the executive should be given to the Farmers' Union, Sheepfarmers' Federation Dairy Farmers' Federation, Fruit growers' Federation, Poultry Association Flax Producers' Association, Honey Producers' Association, and Pig Breeders' Association. The matter was referred to u committee, which was authorised to proteed as it thinks fit. Treaty With Belgium. The Government's action in entering into a trade treaty with Belgium vrithcot consulting the Farmers' Union wa? tritieiscd. Concern was expressed in ,i Icttei from the Auckland branch of the union that the recent treaty had bccu sprung 10 fuddenly on l' lo public. The branch suggested that proprietary interests handling farm produce which was u-il BMHtlly exported by the farmers themselves had received first-class treatment, and that practically no considerition had been given to farm products in which any real proportion of tlie value went to the farmers. Mr Feist (Wsiknto) said that it was another instance where the Government Ignored the Farmers' Union, and associated itself with the manufacturers' and importers' Associations. He moved that a protest be made to the Government This was seconded by Air Mci'.iop, but the motion was lost. A Protest. A inotiou wa» passed entering an emphatic protest against the Parliamentary Economic Committee ignoiing the Farmera' Union by not giving it an opportunity to state evidence on behalf if tkc farmer# of the Dominion. The secretary stated that he had sent a telegram to the Prime Minister asking that the Union should be heard. Farm Labour. A motion wa3 passed endorsing the Y.M.C.A. system of training lads for farm work, and it was decided to request the Government to do similar work throughout the country. It T.-as agreed to urge farmers to avail themselves fully of No. 4A and Xo. 5 Schemes for supplying men for farm labour, and to ask unemployment Committees to give the farmers the men they asked for. The following remit from Poverty Bay was curried: —That the Unemployment Board be aofceli to alter the conditions of-Xo. Soiicmc and. to pa% the total amount of the contract price, the farmer to provide the usual tools, caropgear.grass seed, and other materials,, and that the, lofcal Labour Department- or sonic snch other institution - should b« authorised to handle the payment locally without reference to Wellington. The Petrol Tax. Tlia Auckland branch, forwarded a protest, which was adopted, against the extra taxation on benzine being used for ordinary revenue purposes. Such a waree, said tlte Auckland body, would wjaeesb out even more than tbe legislation of the past session the possibility of raising revenue from benzine for tha de-rating of agricultural land. Mr It IJ. Feist said there would probiMy be a" further tax on benzine, and tbe fund should not be used for other than reading purposes.