FARMERS’ UNION

Grey River Argus, 2 August 1935, Page 2

FARMERS’ UNION

GREY VALLEY MEETING. The ordinary meeting of the Grey Va'Jev Branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union was held at Mawheraiti on Monday evening. In the at-xii'-c of the President. Mr W. T B gg (Vice-President) presided over a fair ;;: 1 viidauee The Minister of Agriculture ad- Ue 1 that as the protection of tn? Waimaunga State Farm would entail the .-pending of a. considerable amount, perhaps more than the land w <s worth. Le regretted that nothing could b (’one, meantime, in any case, ilie river i-hown signs of changing away from the farm. The railway loading bank at Ma wheraiti station not being up to regulation height, it, was decided to ask th? Department' to have it raised to truck level. The Ikamatua telephone circuit is sc, arranged that to obtain connection with offices south thereof, ‘the call has first to go through the Reefton Exchange. with the result of a very considerable delay, the line being almos/t continually engaged with work from Waiuta and other northern offices. The trouble has become so acute 2 that anyone knowing the existing conditions, will no't use the ’phone. Toi'ara Flat and south then*of are in direct communication with Greymouth, no diftieu ty being experienced in obtaining a connection with a minimum of delay. It was resolved to request the Telegraph Department t'o place Ikamatua on the direct line to Greymouth. It was stated that the trouble had existed at Ikamatua for a considerable time. Saturday espeeiallv being the worst day. At' Totara Flat station the Railway authorities are making a big improvement by way of extending the roadway to 'the southern end of the yard, after the removal of the timber skids, but as the filing in is to be mad? with ashes and such waste material as opportunity offers?, the Department is? to be asked to expedite the work.

The disposal of fat pigs in I'he dis trict is a difficult matter for the farmers. and the only market offering is Addington, and it often so happen that a half-t'ruck only can be got together for despatch on which fuF truck rates have to be paid, while the distance makes charges very heavy, added with the low prices offering for the slock. The Railways Board is to bp requested to give a substantial re duction when only a ha'f-truek is con signed. This trouble is? usually during (he months of October November and May. when the -lambs trade is off, and f he other deck of the truck cannot b? utilised wir’h that class of traffic The Ngahere branch wrote in connection with an agreement between H e Grev Hospital Board and the Coast Union. Members were not keen on the matter in any ease the majority of Grey Valley members* are in the Tnangahua Hospital district. Matters in connection with the Farmers’ annual bal' were fina.isnd. and everything points to it being “the ball of the seison ”