FARMERS' UNION

Grey River Argus, 30 May 1914, Page 5

FARMERS' UNION

REMITS 'CARRIED. (Per United Press Association.) ( INYERCARGILL, May 29. ' At the Southland. Provincial Confer j ence of the Fanners', Union the following were amongst the remits car-, . ried: — That duty be levied on motor tyres, and the revenue divided amongst local 1 bodies for expenditure on roads. That the Union again draws the attention of the 'Minister for Railways , ut "the hardship- imposed upon country people by the extra rate dhaTged on the carr'age of imported timber, and points out the necessity for approaching the Minister for Railways with a view of the removal of the differential rates at present charged on. imported timber. That the Government be urged to consider the advisability of (1) acquir ing all local deposits of phosphates, and sell to the farmer at an advance of ten per cent, on cost; (2), securing the rights of one of the phosphate , compan*'es controlling the Pacific Island deposits; (3) purchasing one of the 'Islands, say Clipperton Island,; (4), instructing the Agriculture Depart ment to conduct -exhaustive experi- ( ments. "■ ANNUA CONFERENCE. The - thirteenth ' annual Southland Provincial Conference of the Farmers' Union 1 opened this morning. The Presidento(Mr. W. Ford) in his address referred to the strike as the greatest industrial upheaval 'the Do*-' minion, and taking" consideration that the~ ports were for a time held up the results ' highly satisfactory, and they must recognise^the -fact that' it was* owing' to the organisation 'of' the FaTmers Union. Dairy" 'Association,-and-to-a certain extent the" Employers' Association' that things were ' readjusted to- enable tfhe business-of the odun.- , try to' proceed on 1 normal lines. 1 . ..Southland had little. trouble as a re suit -of the -strike, though, it 'felt lit in-i ( directly. Grain returns . were diminishing as , a result of the progress, of science in the matter of locomotion, and -the substitution of petrol for oats,^ whiten is a serious problem. *■ The farmers union was now regard cd' as a power to be reckoned with, . and its yoke in Parliament had a , greater force- thara_ it -had in the past. Mr. Ford referred to the cost of living, the money market, land values, and settlement, exports and conchided by appealing to all farmers fox encouragement, and support. - * Mr. Ford was reelected president,' and Messrs John McQueen, T. ' W.^ I Foster, J. 'Smaill, 'vice-presidents ■ Amongst the remits, carried was that the 'Government- continue "the "system of importing:' farm labourers and- do--mestics. - ■