FARMERS' UNION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 686, 10 December 1909, Page 10

FARMERS' UNION.

■/v, : PALMEBSTON/ £.r. .(BjTelecraDh—Special Co'rriuDondenU i : ''::■"; ; -".; Palmerston, Deoember 9. ' :A. inceting'iof the. Wellington Provincial Ex■ecutive oE the- Farmers' Union 'was held at PalJ. .Gi.-Wibson presiding. Otliers; present were, Messrs. J. Birch (Mart'on), Evans and Campbell (Wangamii),. O. P. Lynch (Paekakariki), -IV : Hockley (Huhterville), fT. Moss and W.!; B. ; Matheson (Ekctahuna), J.VO." Bidivill (Feathei-ston), H. A. Nevins (Tenui), Captain Hewitt and llr. A, E, EuESell (Pal-merstou-North)... / ■ ,"' '.".'."■'' '':

■w'rho president'reported on' tho action taken', in circularising -."sheepownors with regard, to the.guestion.-.'of labour, more particularly! in relation to shearing. : Bo referred to,tho ireport of the Shearers' TJnion meeting at .lias-" tertoni in. which, it ; was.stated that "the result of. tho ycar's:;campaign would be- interesting to watch/ and would show where country woricers stands rjind,whether' they were, satisfied to reniain- as in. the past 'the/docile servants of: a class whose' chi«f business was to .exploit them.":. In. the. "special instriiotions for shed:i representatives'' was the following: "No mem« bsr. shall, commence'work, unless . full union are obtained. for . all sections of finan-' cial' members; he shall not .work with nonihembers unless a satisfactory ' guarantee is forthcoming that such' non-members will join 'tho' ; union,: and pay. any tines '.and. dues,.'to .■which: they:may be liable." '.Then, underVan-' other headipg, "No Discrimination," the'folllpivino;. appeared: /'Clause ,9 ; of' the, shearers' awardf'reads:—'When- members, of the union 1 jt'nd , are. employed together, there shall . : b6:nb'distinctjon between" them. Both shall, .work together^in harmony, and shall re-. CeiVo' eqnil pay...for :et[ual; work.'". The .'two Becmpd'"slightly':at, variance.- ,Tho secretary, of thejunipn.eaia 'that,;membei's; should'.not/work , with'.'non-members 'unless under certain conditions, while the award said that they should work together in harmony. Sheapowners would, do woll.to make a note of this; ... .. "' '■■ ■"'■.•;■

:/Jt: was/decidsdi'that'tho' whole , of the. membars bo constituted., n;. Farmers' .Defence ;Com.mitte'e.,.'r:.: ''■:/■ '.: ; - : - -■'■''.■■•:■■■.■'■. .' ■, , ■:, .';

The;: Land , .Laws -Arfleridm'ont- ; -Bill- -was. .thoroughly discussed,. and, eventnallV. ' the, following resolntion; was passed;.—".That this executive, while appreciating tiie',-fact that, in. the proposed:. I/and Bill, the -./principle for which th« .'Farmers' :;Uaion has. so long con'tended—namely, that tenants should hare .the option of acquiring 'the',freehold oftheir' sections—has been so largely admitted:by the ■.Government, : is strongly, , -, of." opinion, that the."only equitable terms.wiUvlxv'liy'fixing,the pries on the: original value on the lines long - advocated :'by the: union; that, special, attention be: drawn to the: proposal'; to. interfere, with-the leases; issued /.under ..the small .''grazing, runs system; it liein^ retrospective, 'and also overriding the decisionof the Supreme Court." '' ,':Clause 1A .of ; the Lands for . Settlement 'Administration Bill, was also-.disjin'sscjl, and •• it was.resolved -that,,-whilst entirely approving of: hon\«s and:.-home' farms: for : being proyided hy.'-'tbe. voluntary sale" of-land, the' proposed provisions in;-the-Lands v for Settle^ , .mbnt Administration Bill thpt.any land may bo; cbmpulsorily.'-taken (if within- 20 miles .of; ■a borough- containing' 500. "inhabitants or.'ia, town district .of 1000 inhabitants) are inde-. fensible, arid : ciiloulakd disturb v the sense of. security .of; tenure of a; large' number of srnaU.farmers..'-. ••'■..'■ •'.'; , : ;',■.■■•■ ■~' ,■.'.„'■-■. v; ■ ■'. ;.;;.;- '..■; The',': Hunterville branch forwarded la' .'remit, nslcing; the: executive v to';point "out, :the 'in- ' justice preventing.: the';.Te-t_ransfer. of; abandoned roads in exchange.Vfor. more-prac- : tical'-'sites.. ■■-■■.'■,->■■ ■ .r-n:-\ ■'■■.:-■'■.-::■<■'■. : ':- r . ' It -was re.jolvid. that, the ■ httention: of ■ tho Minister be .directed' to the ''absolute necessity. ■ of- iriakiiig • provision,' , in ' nnv m'ow. Land 'Bill, f Or'.- the legal • exchange: of lartt -for : roads" .'or. public 'works purposes, independent -of ,thearea that .may .be held -by :the: owner: of .the' land jnaking ; the. exchange.'/,,' .:'■ • . .', ":. • The' protiosal - of '. the' ■■ leaseholders! /in the, House, to address', pnblic meetings in'-, the: coun-: tryj'LWas .deferredV'to/i. and-"the .president, .was. dir.edt;d to :taie|any;,aotion necessary , to , place 7 .tW|freeh'old \qtKstyn) before fftrmers TCnerally;.. ■A letter was.'re&d from the Otago- Provincial" , sooretary; in .reply to an- inquiry, regardibgi, grey. , owls.. ■',;.'lt \ was stated ; : that ,f he , repor||S of .tho. work done'.-by these-birds were : satis-:' factory,'and.whoreyer owls were.located small .birds. iWere.iqui?Wy,...i'estro£ed,:- ,'Ap .thV;Marton.. :.th.e! iniportafinn" I 'nf'i-.these,..- :. : wis'-'"held''6ver: : ..for;;' tfrilnre; Ww,'.'"■TA-i^i'■$ ■'■ The. Hawke's Bay Executive wrote rp?ardiri"g' the : small - birds.:nuisaDce,. and. asked for confarmers.'. It ..was sug-; gested'Jthat rd^mlMrs"of the farming comLmunit.v beVss,lce.d,,!to';:lay jpoisoned- grain sirriul-: taneonsly:'during a period' of from,'.say.': July; 15• to'. July' 18 each f«ar. ■■'.The .proposal was. approved,: and branches will be recommended, to:harry: it,nut. I '/ "V- ■ i/ ; '.- ":. '■'■•,■ '-."'":"■ .' The ■irepqrt-.ofi ihe: .provincial '--'organiser for. districts'■ visited*Jn- the.-Wairarara -was..very enobnraging, ; : andv'a V.laTi'e' nuniber of : new .memb.ars' bad .b,e?nVeniolkd.'". • :'.'; -.': !;.jV ijbte-o'f/" thanks -was accorded to'thp- Hun-, terville .branch for: a donation ;.of >£5 for the 'organising":fund.; 1 ; ;;VVC : r : ''.:-; : 7- ;;:[■"' ;