N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXIX, Issue 33, 26 November 1912, Page 3

N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

CLUIHA BRANCH. ~»T ! ? numbly nwetiajj of t,he Uuth* ft*** oMfc |aW Union w*r told in the County Chambers on Friday afternoon, there being presentrMessrs Jos. Moaley (chairman), Eobt. Mogat, Geo. Moffat* P. Benton, A. H. Moffat, D. Jack, John Gordon, G. B. bomerVHgfc , Woolbrokars' Coajmission. The Dunedin Wootbtokers' Association wrote notifying that following scale of charges and commission on sales of wool has been agreed to and adopted by tha Wool Brokers' Associations ©I JJ.Z., and will be in forte from this date:— Beceiving, weighing, Lotting, Advertising, Insurance, and cataloguing, id per lb. Commission on Sales—2s per cent on first £3OO and 1-J per cent on balance. Wool received into store and not sold, 2/ per bale for first offering, 1/ pes bale for each subsequent offering until Bold. When sold, the one-eighth of a penny per pound lor receiving, etc., as above, will be charged. Dissecting Bales.—lf bales are opened for purpose of taking out skins, bag or bags of wool (packed), or up to 56tt> weight of wool (loose), a charge of 1/ per bale will be made. If loose wool, either fleece or pieces, over 561b in weight be taken out of any bale for the purpose of re-packing into separate package or packages, a charge of 2/ per bale will be made. Classing, when incurred, 3/ per bale; 6d per bag. Some discussion took place on this question, and it was carried, on the motion of Messrs R. Moffat and John Gordon—"That the Union protest against any increase in the commissions, etc."—The Chairmau remarked that it was hitting the small man every time; it was on wrong lines. The man with £IOOO worth of wool was better able to pay than the man with £IOU worth, and yet they were to charge the latter more. ! Binder Twine. The Chairman brought up the matter of ordering binder twine through the Union. There was plenty of time yet, but last year they were late, and he did not want this to happen again. Tha best idea would be to pool all the orders; the executive should get orders from all over Otago. All the branches should be included, and the Provincial Secretary get the thing -fixed up. Mr B. Moffat agreed. They could take the whole output of one of the mills if they did this. He moved "That the chairman be instructed to bring the matter up at the Executive meeting." Mr Geo. Moffat seconded. It was understood that should the Executive not be able to do anything in the matter, the Chairman be empowered to call for tenders for Clutha Branch before next meeting. Charitable Aid. The Chairman said he would like at: soma iuture meeting to bring before them tho matter of Charitable Aid, which he said was at present only an additional land tax. If money was invested in land it was charged Hospital and Charitable Aid rates, but paid nothing if invested in any other way. The hospital charges to the suffering poor were ridiculously high now. It was a matter that should be faced, and as the farmers had to pay at least half of the total upkeep of these institutions, the Farmers' Unions were the proper bodies to take the matter up. They ought to demand . a just imposition of this tax. li a man had £6OOO at interest he paid nothing, but if he had £6OOO on a farm, even if mortgaged up to the hilt, ho had to pay the tax. It was very unfair. The land was unduly weighted. Mr R. Moffat: It seems to be the land they want to tax, Aot the amount • man's worth.

I Chairman did not say the tax icessive, but what he did say at it was inequitable, ack: The rate should be acto value, no matter how the was invested, osley: We have got a chance the right thing now. We have sr as Prime Minister," and a ment who evidently intend to itters in a proper spirit. One ion he intended to put forthey should do the same as d in France, that was to put a i tax on tickets for amusements 1 , pay the Charitable rate, i. Moffat: It would be a difclass who would pay the rate Take Balejutha. K they put y on every 1/ ticket it would o a good deal. Chairman said the hospital j were now increased from £.l to 35/. The Public Health id certainly placed a heavier on the Charitable Aid Boards, did not see how the rates go up and the hospital charges ) also. The Chairman of the had recently told him that it iem 35/ a week for every bed. ■ not see how the suffering poor be expected to pay it. Hs not help thinking there was ing radically wrong somewhere. Tack : The charge used to be ay. The hospital people had to a patients whether they could not. Chairman said he had merely it the matter up that day as a nary, and would give them due when he brought the subject up lture meeting. Sex Earmarking. D. Jack brought Up the earie of sheep according to sex. Mr had told him this was discus-. Parliament, but he thought it rht to have the matter discus* The idea was to mark all male* ; ear, - and all females on the so that they could be readily juisbed in saleyards and elsel. Moffat thought-itywas a step right direction. The sex guarthey got at' saleyards at present farce. Tack thought it was well worth to get. At present a dealer it in to the yards sheep from is half a dozen places with as ear-marks, but if such a law a » ied was pttßsed, it would not how many ear-marks there the sexes would be apparent, a.; H. Moßkt said it would do with the neaMDt wprtwed ear- , nut life', *wM be Jeaifly done, ought the propoeal was a good - '■' •

f Afas fcriiur <&cuwtan it w«» »- • greed, on the motion ot Mr Jack, seconded by Mr B. Moffat, to ask the I Executive to move in the direction of having a law passed, making it coin)lV*lsQry to have all malo sheep marked 'on one ear, and all females marked on the other.