FARMERS’ UNION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 203, 10 August 1928, Page 4

FARMERS’ UNION

HAWKE'S BAY EXECUTIVE MONTHLY MEETING. The Hawke’s Bay Executive of the New Zealand H armers’ Lruon met in Hastings yesterday afternoon, Mr J. H, Jon in the chair. ’ There was a good attendance. I'aimers’ Union headquarters forwarded a circular paper describing the method of preierential voting. It was described as a great advance on the present system, but it was in some ways inadequate and unsatisfactory. It was applicable only to single-member constituencies; It, couid not prevent any one political party from securing what amounted to a monopoly of representation over wide areas, or throughout a whole State, and it failed to establish the fundamental democratic principle of “one vote, one value,” so that every elector’s vote would be as effective as another’s. For these reasons most electoral reformers regarded preferential voting as only a steppingstone or “half-way house” in the direction of the more equitable and effective system of proportional representation.—Received. J. A. Kerr (Waipawa) enclosed an extract from the reply of the Undersecretary of the Lands Department to the remit forwarded to the conference by the Tutira branch as follows -‘ ‘Where land is taken under the Public Works Act, the onus of moving in the matter of compensation is on the landowner, and I presume that, iu the cases mentioned, the landowners in question had made application to the Department for compensation. He Would be glad to have the details of any specnc case Where a landowner applied to the Department for compensation without satisfaction. If the landholder does not take the trouble to write to the Dcpartinent with regard to the compensation, he had no very serious cause for complaint. Regarding rates, under the Rating Act an owner is liable for rates, even when the land has been disposed of, until he gives notice to the rating authority that he has disposed of his property.—Received, Headquarters Farmers’ Union asked if the province of Hawke’s Bay could arrange for three or four lectures by Mr Gorringe, instructor in pig husbandry, during the week commencing on August 20th.—A programme was arranged for Waipuku. rau on the afternoon of August 21st, Ruataniwha on the same evening, and at Hastings at 2 p.m. on AVednesdny, August 22nd. New- Zealand Meat Producers* Board forwarded the nominations of delegates to represent districts on ; the Electoral Committee. The Hawke’s Bay nominations were:— Messrs E. Averill. Hastings; J. H. •Toll. Havelock North; A. V. S. Reed, Napier; G. D. Tod, Nuhaka. who were declared elected.... Received. LAMB MORTALITY. Mr AV. J. Livingston called attention to mortality amongst lambs, which could not be tracqd to any definite cause. He had been told that the use of salt was an effective preventive, and when ewes used it they quickly taught their lambs to lick it, with good results. Ho had examined some of the lambs he had found dead, and he discovered in their interiors little bits of wool or curdled milk. Mr Absolom suggested that the trouble was due to acute indigestion, saying that if the cwo and her lamb were separated for a time and subjected to a process of starvation, recovery would follow. RAM LAMBS. N.Z. Meat Producers Board drewatiention to the undue number of ram lambs being sent to the freezing works for slaughter. A certain number were expected, as being overlooked, but the number received lost season by some of the works was considerably in excess of previous years, and the boaid was concerned as to the detrimental effect the; have on the standard quality of t) « second-class lambs T'hq board hopc l the freezing companies would have no cause for complaint during the eom ing season, as the keeping up of the quality of lambs should be the concern of every sheepfarmer. Mr Averill said that a certain pre portion of these ram lambs was inevitably. and the companies did not object, but tho number was becoming excessive. Tho le.tcr was received.