FARMERS' UNION.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20918, 27 July 1933, Page 5

FARMERS' UNION.

MEETING OF EXECUTIVE. KEI'OKT ON CONFJiKKNCE DISCISSIONS. The North Canterbury executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union met yesterday, Mr J. D. Hall presiding. Present were:—Messrs W. W. Mulholland, C. Mcintosh, F. G. Armstrong, R. G. Bishop, J. R. Cullen, A. Fisher, G. H. Hassall, R. T. McMillan, H. W. Mcintosh, H. Oliver, T. Stevenson, T. Thompson, and the following branch delegates, Messrs J. Gilmour, W. Smith, and T. Mould. Reporting on matters discussed at the Dominion conference of the union, Mr W. W. Mulholland said that the conference had opposed the Central Bank Bill, but it had at no time opposed a central bank. One of the clauses in the bill that it objected to was that after five years the directors should be appointed by, Ihe shareholders, without sufficient Government control. Another was a provision that New Zealand money was compulsorily linked to sterling with a swing of about U per cent, either way. This, which meant putting New Zealand money practically on a par with sterling, was dangerous to say the least of it. The general tone of the discussion of currency showed that the members of the conference were not being stampeded into any of the new-fangled currency theories. What the conference did suggest was that the Government should call for an investigation (o which the protagonists of the various theories should' put forward their ideas, so Ihat some wide view might be obtained. Mortgage Adjustments. Mortgage problems had also engaged the attention of the conference. In many eases the work of the Mortgage Adjustment Commission had been entirely nullified by the fact that stock liens had been found to be outside the ;.cope of the adjustments. At the conference there had been a strong feeling that this should not be allowea' to conl inue, as often the holder of a stock moi l gage could force a farmer off his farm. No definite course of action had been indicated, as the matter was one requiring full investigation. The conference as a whole had been far more; satisfactory than last years. Messrs J. D. Hall and W. W. Mulholland were appointed to represent the union at the conference to' be held concerning access to the sea. Size of Potato Sacks. The special committee set up to investigate the grading of wheat and potatoes reported that representations had been made by the Lyttelton Waterside Workers' Union concerning the size of potato sacks. They had suggested that a reduction in the weight of potato sacks to a uniform 1601b should be considered, as many the sacks weighed as much as 2cwt. This resulted in considerable strain on the men, especially in [jacking the sacks into difficult corners of ships' holds. Mr Mulholland and other members remarked that some reduction in size might be in the interest of farmers as il would prevent the potatoes from being damaged so much as in the larger sacks.