FARMERS' UNION JOURNAL

Horowhenua Chronicle, 7 August 1933, Page 8

FARMERS' UNION JOURNAL

PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE SUGGESTS A BOARD OF CONTROL. The decision of the X.Z. Farmers' Union Conference to sponsor the publication of a monthly magazine, for distribution among members of theUnion, came in for varied comments at the meeting of the Manawatu. provincial executive, at Levin on Saturday, and a resolution was passed which advocated the appointment of a board of control for the paper. In reviewing the proceedings of the conference, the provincial President (Mr J. A. McLeavey) stated that MidCanterbury submitted a remit asking the conference to consider the question of issuing a quarterly magazine to all financial members of the Union, but the Dominion President (Mr W. J. Pelson) stated that he had made arrangements with a firm in Stratford to print a monthly magazine. The yearly subscription to this publication would be 3s, of wliiek Is 3d would be paid by the Dominion executive and Is 9d by the provincial executives. Mr McLeavey added that he was " very much in favour of the organisation having an official organ. He would like to see a strong committee §et up to handle the enterprise. The conference had decided that the project proceed. Mr J. Boyee said it would do a little good, in that the paper would be circulated among the members of the Union, but it would not reach the public and let them know about the fanners' affairs. Moreover, it would take Is 9d out of ■ each membership subscription, thus affecting the finance of the organisation. Attention was called, by, ,the Chairman to what the "Women's Institutes of New Zealand had done in establishing an official; organ. At a subscription of 2s a year they issued a journal which contained a world of information nicely and brightly written. Surely the Farmers' Union could persuade half its members to pay out of their own pockets for a paper which was only going to cost' 3d a month?

• Several members criticised the larger newspapers for not publishing more extensive reports of Farmers' Union business.

Mr J. T. Kent, referring to the public Press generally, said that if the papers were helped with the news they would print it. He had personally found them to be very fair. Mr R. C. Bishop: Could we not move that a committee be appointed from the New Zealand executive to run the paper? Mr H. J. McLeavey moved that this executive heartily endorse the action of the Conference, provided that a competent board, drawn from the Dominion executive, be set up to control the paper. Mr Boyce seconded the motion. Mr C. Jensen contended that the branches should have a voice in the matter before this motion was put to the executive. Ilie Chairman: The paper is going on; you cannot stop it. Mr Jensen: If the paper has been made available without our consent, by all means let them run it; but the members of the branches should say whether they will have the paper or not. I am not condemning the paper, but they should have the right te say whether they will subscribe to it or not. Mr Kent endorsed this view. Mr L. H. Best said that this executive had the right to control the finances which it received, and thus the members of the branches would receive the paper free.

The motion was carried on the voices.