FARMERS' UNION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 263, 30 July 1908, Page 4

FARMERS' UNION.

ANNUAL CENTRAL CONFERENCE. SECOND DAY'S PROCEEDINGS. Tho : - annual Zealand Farmers' Union was .continued at tho National Mutual' Buildings, Wellington, yes-. terdfiy, the President, Mr. J, (3.-"\VilsQii, ji) tho cjjaif. In addition to the delegates pre- . sent on the previous day, Messrs. A. S, Orr boll (Otago) and D'Arcy Chaytor (Marlborough) attended. RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION, / Mr. : R. Evans ;(Nqrth Canterbury)'moved:' "That this Conference of 'tho New Zealand . Farmprs'Union WQlild.asl? ,tllP.,Upioil to supr , port all, other organisations in urging , tho completion of the South Island main line of railway." Mr. I. Tunnicliffo (Nelson) seconded. • Mr. J. M'Queen (Southland) urged thai the Conference should not devote its time to what must be called local questions. Mr.-Richards .(Levin) took tho same view,, and said every delegate doubtless had a local railway to advocate if necessary... Mr. D'Arcy Chaytor (Blenheim) supported th'o motioiij pnd made special reference tp the needs, of the Flaxboufne settlers.. . Mh .■ Middleton • asked if the ■ Conference was prepared tp advocate tjlia line in prefer;; ' ence; to all others. ■ ' Mr. O. F. Clothier (North Canterbury) said . southtirners had rojoiced. with northerners »t the completion of thp is]f»n|, 'Trunk line,-and• now asked for northerp support for tho south main line. : . Mr:* J. Flanagan (Auckland) suggested the resolution be extended to all main lines. Mr. H. J. Middleton; (Southland) moved i to' add tho \yo'rcJa "and.qU other lines as expeditiously' as ' possible!" ;. .. - • - —• '• ■ . . The , resolution was ..defeated -by' 11 'votes ' to .8; ' ; : A Gisborne-Rotorua railway motion of Mr. . :-.f Elliott's was withdra\yn in deference to the objection to "iocal''' matters; ..v ; . Major Bell (Auckland) gave notice to move; "That the Government bo. urged to complete .thu construction of tile main trunk jines of tho Dominion.'' . i WAOE OB CONTRACT?' ■ • Mr. J: -M'Queen (Southland)'-"moved;— ' : "That the ' Govornjnent- be again urged- to discontinue tho construction pf public wprks by daily wage or-on tho co-operative system, .and |h at'inriead the ponlra'ct system bp'ap; : ■ ■ plied to all.public works."' '.. '- ' A;Wellington motion was also added;— " "That the Conference use its best pndeayoiirs to induce the Government to have all contracts lot by public tender, and not by petty contract as at present." . 'Mr." J; C.- Cooper (Tane) .seconded, and . said''that in the -last ten years there had "been built 440 miles of railway- at a cost of over £8,000,000 —a-' icost per milo. twp and a half times as great as tho cost prior to that 'period. Thpmode -of rjad .construc? tion was even "\v.orse. . , . Mr. D'Arcy Chaytpr (Blenheim) urged a ppflirSPt;? ratjier thp .liirgo contracts.,-, 'lko motions were earned. NATIVE LAND LAWS. , .f- -, :'A sub-committee' submitted the reebn- ' '. structed resolution jn ~ reference ' .to Nativo - land matters as follows —"That this Confcrence is of .opinion that a radical change in ;: tho treatment of; Native lands is : imperative; . ' that lndividualisation of a}l such lands iJ tho . . . , first step necessary, ;'and ' this Cpnferenco • :: - would urge the Government to carry it to' . .. completion in a much more rapid and sy.ste- ' matic manner than heretofore." -•- -The motion was carried ; unanimously. -.- • RAILWAY MATTERS. ■ Mr. Flanagan (Auckland) moved:—"That the Minister'for Railways 'bo asked to coniv. ' voy nietal tp farmers at the same rate as to local bodies/ to,; enable them to comply with > the 'conditions of the Dairying. Act.".—Carriedj - '.' " • 1 ■ A Wellington Relegate mpyed':—f-'That be t-■','-ter facilities be. given to',' smalJ railway,, 'sta- > tioiis for loading and unloading stock'and ' : produce, and .thj#' wlien. trucks are- ordpred. .-" ' ''and,-forwarded to a stfition, such should • be addressed to "the ' pprspji : prdering samp, .'•and any other, person taking them lie sub- , • jected to a penalty.".' '..- ■ ' Mr. Evans said the custom in Canterbury , - ; ' was', to, ticket the trucks, , and lipid them , . ■ available for four hours. r , Mr. jA. S. Orbell (Otago) said if tho srs-tem-asked for'were introduced yhe charge dcniiirrage of 10s, a day. ' "•.••••-v-'sMr; M'Queen (Southland) said this would . : ;f i;'.be,'preferablevto;-losing- the trucks. ~ i ' Tpo motion 1 was carried. : Loading of Sheep Trucks. ■ Mr. Hockjey ("\Vcllmgton) moved:—''That ; ■ * -the Jljnister fpf )Yprjts (jp'again.urgei! - vV'to.'pennit'of-cbntinu'ous' loading ' of - "-sheep ;-V'.trtMi|fs."'in Now; Zealand.; '■ Trucks to have falsp bottoms." ~i;' . -' ■ Mr. H. J. Richards (Lerin) said this sys- ; tem was in operation oil tho Munawatu line, and was very nuich. When the' Ministry,.-on ra .foj-nier.tpccagipn, .-objected on the. ground of it was elcafiy slio'vn. ' to him that tho_j3xpenso ' of- the ' : . wet'e" greatly, economised.by.tlie system, fivo trucks' being, loadedas..'fast, as i.two: ;in- v .the other method. , • - Mr. R. Spott (Otago) supported.- . ' ■ Railv;ay Crossings. Mr., F. F. Hockley (Wellington) moved: — • 'fThat 'tlid Colonial Executive be, urged to continue t|ip agitation for the,improvement of tho dangerous . railway crossings throughout tho Dominion." Ho emphasised the danger to lifo which existed at somo pf the crossings,' in spite -of' every.care that could, bo taken. ■ Expense ought l riot-to count againsti valuable lives. • : , -';Mr.:- "Vy,- B. : Matheson (Wellington) seconded. : ' '•''' Mr. 0, F. . Clothier (North Canterbury) said at Addingtori a bell rang while a. train was approaching;'ho thought'-this system should bp made universal. ; The motion was" paf'ried unanimously. . Farmers' Excursions to Experiment Farms. Mr; W. J. Birch (Wellington) moved: — ■ "That tho Government •bo asked to carry ; farmers in parties of sis to experimental farms' at excursion rates, and that accommodation should .bp provided at reasonable rates, as is done' in Denmark." . ' . . . The President, said ho thought ' -jv" small 'parties .of fanners could gain more in-' - formation than largo parties. Tho Premier ' .- told tho farmers 1 at lluakura that he was : considering.: the ' " v ; . -The : motion was carried. .v' l • Fires Caused by Locomotives. ■ Mr. 'H. M;. 'Sanders (Hawko's Bay) moved''That the Railway Department be ' . urged- to dovise- a satisfactory method of ■■ V dealing with the danger of fire caused by ' the sparks from locomotives." Ho stated • that in the bush fire period last season, numbers of-farmers kept gangs of men stationed V .-'along- th'o 'railway lino boundaries watching " tho trains, and in this way saved their properties. It should be an instruction to. tho i Railway officials to keep rubbish on tho lines •' burned down. : , • Mr. H. J. Richards (Levin) seconded pro forma. _ . V.' Tlie motion was carried. ■ Supply of Tarpaulins. / Mr. J. ■ M'Queen moved :— "That as at sidings' whero there is no goods shed, largo quantities of grain and other produce ha.ve to be deposited on the ground on account of tho Railway Department boing un ablo to supply trucks; tho Department not acknowledging any liability should the sanio become damaged, the authorities sbpiild thereforo bo requested to forward a supply Wf tarpaulins to such sidings, ponding tho arrival of the trucks to load tho produco." Mr. R. Evans- (North Canterbury) said that in thp south th'e tarpau)ins were always supplied on .application,.

Mr.]. Clothier; (North Canterbury) concurred: " !: vV . -Mr.-iM'Queem-said at present timber was given a preference over grain for tarpaulins, and much trouble was thus caused. Tho motion was. rejected. TARIFF QUESTIONS. Mr'/- ' Forsyth I(Tara>iaki) moved ''That this 'Conference strongly protests against any export duty on farm, produce of any.descripr tion." " . t Mr. Leadloy (Ashburton) seconded. ; Carried.. . Timber Duties. Mr; W. .B. : >Mathcson (Wellington) moved:—"That owing to the almost" prohibitive price of building timber tho Government bo urged to removo the import duty therefrom." Mr. Leadloy (Ashburton) seconded. 1 : The' President advised tho. Conforence not to tinker with tho taariff-piece-meal without full.,cpnsidoratioii. "'Thp Union had already approved of the duty on wheat, not because t])oy wero not Free-traders, but because it was'considered expedient. -'•Mr. R. Evans (North Canterbury) condemned tho differential railway rate between local and imported timber, and moved" That this Union is 'opposed to any alteration of the tariff in tho direction of ap increase of the import duty on tim* bor,. and draws--tho attention of tho Minister" for'Railways' to the differential freight charged on imported timber, and asks him to do away with'that, as it is entirely a tax;oil the farming community." Hp said the freight per 100 ft. over 100 miles of rail..vray, was 35.'.2d;..f0r Ipca] timber, and4s. 9d. for imported" timber!"' ' ' suggested that they ask the Minister ,-to- reconsider tho reduction of long 'distance'"rates generally, as , the 'sawmills Were getting more remote from the centres. ,'vMr.' Evansis 'amendment was carried. ; . SECFjECY OF THE BALLOT, ■ Major Bell: (Auckland) moved" That all ballot papers be sealed and kept in the electorate until / all chance of a recount being necessary is .over, and then that tljey be destroyed in .'the- presence of the scrutineers." ', ' - 'Mr.; E. Maixiyell (Taranaki) said lie had fevidfence of cas'ds proving that the ballot wasanything but secretf and that information as to-voting-had been made use of. Mr. D. Jones, Mr. f. Elliott, and the President jioped tho resolution would be withdrawn, lest it arouse needless suspicion. They' did not believe information was got from the ballot papers, but only, from the mouths of : tlie.-voters themselves; Mr.'AV. _B.';Mfithespn believed thero were ppportuijities . of leakage between the local polling booths anil Wellington. . ' The motion was rejected. ■'' . ' ' ELERTORftL BpU^DftRIES. : " >Mr.- Mjddlptpn (Southland) 'moved:—"That the Ministry be'approached and urged to so','amend "the laiy'vtha't in all alterations of tho ; boundaries !of : electoral districts the community pf interest"of the various parts shall lie the main • factor in settling such lioundariesj; instead: of the population basis." Mr.- BY J< Richards (Levin) seconded, and said electors _lj miles from the Palmerston Square were in the Otaki electorate. ..".'Mr.- A. E." Russell (Palmerston North) considered _ tliijt so long as our legislators existed chiefly to dispense votes, tho representation must- be-on a population basis. '-.The motion was eventually withdrawn.-