FARMERS' AFFAIRS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 127, 30 May 1914, Page 9

FARMERS' AFFAIRS

PROVINCIAL CONFERENCEP SOUTHLAND BUSINESS. (BY TELEGRAPH.— PRKSB ASSOCIATION.) * INVER.CARGILL, 29th May. The thirteenth annual conference of the Southland Provincial Farmers' Union opened this morning. The president (Mr. \V. Ford), in his address, referred to the strike as tho greatest' industrial upheaval in the Dominion, but taking into consideration that tho ports wero for a time held up, the resuits were satisfactory. They must recognise tho fact that it was owing; to the organisation of the Farmers' Union, Dairy Association, and, to * certain extent, the Employers' Associa* tion, that, things were readjusted so as to enable the business of the country to proceed on normal lines. South* laud had little trouble as the result, of the strike, though it felt it indirectly. The grain returns were diminishing ( as the result of the progress in science in the matter of locomotion and tha substitution of petrol for oats, which was a serious problem. The Farmers'. " Union was now regarded as a power to be reckoned with, and its' voice in Parliament had a greater force than in, . the past. Mr. Ford referred lo the cost, of living, tho money market, land valuea and settlement, and exports, and con* eluded by appealing to all farmers fop encouragement and support. Mr. Ford was re-elected president;, and Messrs. John M'Queen, T. W. Fo»ter, and J. Smaill vice-pfesidents. * Amongst the remits carried was ono urging the Government to continue tha system of importing farm labourers and domestics. , The following were amongst the remits that wore carried: "That duty be levied on motor tyres, the revenueto be divided amongst the local bodies; for expenditure on roads; that tho' union again draws the attention of tho Minister for Railways to the hardship imposed upon the country people by the^ extra rate charged for the carriage of imported timber, and points out the necessity of approaching the Minister for Railways with a view to the removal of differential rates at present chargedi on imported timber} that the Government be urged to consider the advisa> bility of : (1) .Acquiring all local deposits of phosphates and selling to the farmer at a difference i of 10 per cenU on the cost; (2) securing, tho, rights, ofi one of the phosphate companies con*! trolling the Pacific Island deposits; (5) purchasing one of the islands, say CHpperton Island ; (4) instructing the Agri* cultural Department to conduct exhaus* tivo experiments.