FARMERS' UNION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3088, 19 May 1917, Page 8

FARMERS' UNION

TARANAKI CONFERENCE

RESOLUTIONS ARRIVED AT

Ity Telegraph---Special Correspondent. Stratford, May JB. AI. tho ftorcntentli annual provincial conference of tho Taranaki Farmers' Union, held at Stratford, the president, Mr. It. Dunn, in tho course- of his address, pointed out that the necessity of wiiiicfhmg Ixiing done to bring more of tho Dominion land into eiili.ivul.ion is shown by th« Government Gazette. In the stock ccnHUH ten years ago the Dominion had 20,108,171 sheep, 1K5.7M cattle, and :i»2,tiCo horses, fn llllli there were 21,788,150 sheep, 2,-117,401 cattle, and ;i7l„'l!il horses. During that period two million acres -were added to Iho settled area of the country. "Our (locks and hordfi," ho said, "do not show tho increase that one would expect. Tim export of frozen mutton, lamb, and beef has gone up considerably, nmi possibly at the espenso of the (locks and herd-). Tho figures point t> Ihe fact that farmers have Iwu exporting more than their natural increase, or else not breeding to the extent that they should. Tho present high prices for stock have a tendency to further reslrict the natural increase. There aio il ,liS(i,fiCo acres occupied under various tenures. Of this acreage 2'lyl0),800 are absolutely unimproved. This, with 20,000,000 acres still unoccupied, show that two-thirds of the total area of the Dominion i 3 still practically unproductive. These figures show the urgent necessity that something should be done to increase tho country population, and ,80 occupy and utilise- tho ,'ands of the Dominion to tho best advantage." Among tho remits carried wcro the following:— Kivcrlea.—That it be a recommendation to tho Government that all cull cows and bulls should be branded, to prevent tho same !>eiug again sold for dairying purpqscs. ' Eltham.—That the Government 1» asked to give encouragement to tho development of lime works by extending tho provisions for the.free carriage of agricultural liino-to sea-borne lime and to lime from works not contiguous to a railway. Executive.—That some simple and satisfactory scheme should be deviled for tho purpose of inducing fanners to keep proper books and accounts. Executive.—That thooStallion .Bill, as diawn up by Dr. Reakes, and presented to Parliament, be mado law. RivDrlea.—That, it be a recommendation to tho Government that farmers' incomes and excess profits roturns bo set out in one paper, instead of in two as at present, thus simplifying tho filling-in of the returns. Auroa.—That it bo a recommendation from this conference that" tho people of the Dominion should economiso by using more vegetables, and reduce tho consumption of more costlv foods, vegetables costing only Id. to 2<T. per lb. Auroa—That tho timo has arrived when scientific research should be instituted to prevent- waste, and to -provide for tho utilisation of waste nrotlncts. The election of officers resulted:— President, Mr., P. Dunn (Haweva); vicepresident, Mr. A. E. Washer (Patea); treasurer, Mr. J. Swindlohurst (Mangatoki): executive, Messrs. E. Maxwell, G. H. Buckericlge, TT. A. Sutherland,, M. Phillips, B. Dawes, T. Perry, E. Mills, H. Hodge, B. Orr, H. H. Buxton, D. Hughes. B. B. Piprce. C. Lye, E. Lnmbie, .T. 'S. Barrow, W. Washer, and E. V. Dull'.'