N.Z. FARMERS’ UNION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 4 September 1924, Page 9

N.Z. FARMERS’ UNION.

PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE

INTERESTING MEETING

The ordinary meeting was held tin’s morning, when there were present Messrs R. Dunn, president (chair), H. Hodge, H. Sutherland, E.' J. Betts, W. T. Seed, H. R. Wood, W. F. Lyndon, A. J. Haseltine. Messrs L. H. MeAlpine (organiser) and Cameron (secretary) were also present. agricultural bank. A resolution was received from the Otakeho branch declaring its faith in the Bill promoted by Mr Poison, Dominion President, and urging’ the member for the' district to leave no stone unturned to secure its coming into law. The chairman said he could assure delegates the matter was being pushed forward. The Dominion President was heart and soul for the Bill, and such resolutions from branches would help. They would serve to strengthen his hand. . Mr Wood said the motion had also been sent to Mr Hawken, M.P. The President .said all could be asked to pass similar resolutions. Mr MeAlpine said the matter had gone a long way further than the branches. They must all be guided by the Dominion Conference. He added that all delegates had approved and endorsed the scheme. If all were not unanimous there would be no union. He hoped that all branches would ask the members for the district to use their influence to get the Bill on the floor of the House. A motion was carried as follows: That the South Taranaki Provincial Executive _ favours the Agricultural Banking Bill promoted by Mr Poison, and urges that the members of the districts in South Taranaki give their support. It was also resolved that all branches pass a similar resolution and forward a copy to the members concerned. Advice of formation of a branch was received from (1) Lowgarth and (2) Awatuna. The officers elected are as follows respectively: .(1) President, L. Babing'ton; secretary, A. A. Piper; committee, _ C. Schneebelli, A. D. Johnson, W. Richardson. (2) President, H. Davison; secretary, F. L. Street; committee, L. Corbett (vice-president), T. Haworth, M. Bourke. The secretary was requested to advise new branches that each president is offered a seat on the. executive ex officio. • secretary. The resignation of Mr A. K. Fysofi, owing to pressure of work, was received and accepted with regret. Mr E. K. Cameron was appointed secretary at a salary of £SO per annum. In accepting the position, Mr Cameron said he considered there was quite enough to occupy his time without any organising work, but he assured them that in the course of his travelling through the district—which he did from Patea and Waitara—he would do all in his power to forward the interests of the union. BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ CLUBS.

The secretary advised that the subcommittee had gone thoroughly into the position of the prize moneys Avon at the last competitions, and had found the amount required to complete the total due to the schools. There were ample funds in hand, and the prizes could be paid out so soon as the whole of the papers and books were* handed over to the new secretary. This, the secretary expected, could be done in. the course of a few days. The secretary reported that the rules framed were to be printed on substantial cards, so that they would last, and would be sent round to all schools in the district. WORKER,S’ COMPENSATION. A circular was received in connection with' the Bill being promoted bv Mr E. J. Howard, M.P. The president said that the increases asked were perhaps not much individually, but they amounted to a large sum in the aggregate, and the fanners would have to bear a large portion of the burden. The union was totally opposed to the Bill. It was unanimously resolved that the South Taranaki Provincial Executive is opposed to the Bill introduced by Mr Howard, ,for the reason that great additional expense is proposed, and that the members for the distinct be urged to oppose its passing into law. .NOXIOUS WEEDS. The president reported on this question in reference to the remit sent forward to the Dominion Conference by I South Taranaki, which urged that the law prescribing penalties for failure to eradicate weeds he amended to provide for a “continuing penalty for every day of failure to comply.” * He advised that the remit was adopted after being amended by deleting the word “continuing’’ in the last line and substituting “three months” for the word “day.” MOTOR VEHICLES BILL. Mr. E. J. Betts brought up the question of propsoed charges in tlie new Bill promtoed under the Main Highways Act. He said that the flat rate charge of £2 for license of car and £1 for driver, in addition to tyre tax, was altogether on wrong lines, especially as Taranaki had at great expense made very good roads. It would bear very hardly on ratepayers in the province. Mr. Pierce said it was an absurdity and an injustice. He believed it was designed only to create another department, and could have been avoided. Mr. Haseltine referred to the inequity of making a charge of £5 for lorry with solid tyres and £2 for one with pneumatic tyres.

A motion was passed unanimously to the effect that the South Taranaki executive objects to the Bill as if stands, and urges that if more money is required it would he preferable to increase the tyre tax, so as to obviate creating another department. It was resolved to send a copy of the resolution to the Minister and to the Dominion executive. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Absent members were granted leave of absence for the meetings they had missed. The meeting then adjourned.