SOUTHLAND FARMERS UNION

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 May 1914, Page 6

SOUTHLAND FARMERS UNION

TELEGRAMS.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE. IT TELEOBiFH—PES FSRBS ABSOCIATTOH INVERCAROTLL, May 29. The thirteenth annual Southland Provincial Conference of the Farmers' Union opened this morninp. The President (Mr W. Ford), in his address, referred to the strike as the greatest industrial upheaval, in the Dominion, and, taking into consideration the fact that the ports were for a time help up, the results were highly satisfactory They must recognise the fact that it was owing to the organisation of the Farmers' Union, the Dairy Association, and, to a certain extent, the Employers' Association, that things were readjusted to enable the business of the country to proceed on normal lines. Southland had little trouble iw a result of the strike, though it felt it indirectly. 'Grain returns were diminishing as a resuit of the progress of science in the matter of 'locomotion, and the substitution of petrol for oats, which was a serious problem. The Farmers' Union was now regarded is a power to be reckoned with, and its voice in Parliament had a greater force now than it had in the past.Mr Ford .referred to the drat of living, the money market, land values and settlement, and exports, concluding by appealing to all farmers for encouragement and support. Mr Ford was re-elected President, and Messrs John McQueen, T. W. Foster, -1 Smaill vice-presidents. The following were amongst the remits carried:— That the Government continue the sys tem of importing farm laborers and domestics. That duty be levied on motor tyres, ■>nd the "revenue divided amongst local bodies for expenditure on roads. That the Union again draws the attention of the Minister of Railways to the hardship imposed upon country leople by the extra rate charged upon (he carriage of imported timber, and -oinfs out the necessity for approaching 'he Minister of Railways with a view of the removal of the differential rates at present chargt-d on Imported timber. That the Govennent be urged to con•:cW the advisability of (1) acquiring all :«cal deposits of phosphates, and sell to ■he farmer at an advance of 10 per cent. >n cost; (2) securing the rights of one of he phosphate companies controlling the Pacific Island deposits; (3) purchasing me of the islands, say, Clipperton Island . (4) instructing the Agricultural Deonrtment to conduct exhaustive experiments.