FARMERS' UNION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 8926, 12 September 1905, Page 5

FARMERS' UNION.

HAWERA BRANCH MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Hawera. branch of the New Zealand Farmers Union wire held oil Saturday evening ; present—MessTs Davidson (chair), Robertson, J. Hicks, Forbes, Duckworth, Mills, Taylor, Grant and Atkinson (secretary). THE FREEHOLD QUESTION. The Secretary of the Provincial Executive forwarded a copy of the following resolution passed at the last meeting of the Executive: "That Hue executive resolves to use every possible endeavor to Sing pressure to War on Parliament .so as to secure the right of Crown tenants under lease-in-perpetuity to acqu ire thj freehold of 'their holdings at tte original -capital value, plus, 1 per cent - t ",*, this end," the secretary -^ wrote, aU branches are requested to bring pressure to bear upon their representatives for support in the coming debate on the Land Commission.'" - The letter also asked that the branch secretary telegraph immediately to the member for- the district (Mr Major) asking him to cast his vote on the side of the freehold when the matter daane up in the House.- The letter was dated August 27. -_ , , .1 . v ' The branch secretary reported that- h€ had telegraphed as requested and had received a. reply from Mr Major to the effect {hat he always had supported the freehold and would continue to do so. -_ THE LATE SOCIAL. Concerning the social lately, held by the branch, -ue Secretary said "that he had sent tickets to all the "brandies of the Union between Patea and Pihama, but from the great majority lie had received no reply, and' ns this braficn was- asking a favor" of them in seudid^ the™ the t10 " kete to sell he considered it would be unwise to push the matter too much. - Ttlie" receipts from the social were, the Secretary informed the meeting, £26 7s 6d to hand, and with what was still outstanding he was certain the total would amount ♦0 about £28 10s. The expenditure was ": . 'Mcally £25, and he congratulated the branch ° n havill £ a credit .balance" of £3 in. V, "''e- heavy expenses incurred. VDuckwon: h - i houg^> th r' lan - c t should be put to ,. he -_rt- ? R^ ml account" as there mmight. ht ** a deficit on some future social? 7 „ _ The Chairman agreed with * IT . Uuckworth, and moved in -that directo*?" 1 " . . Mr Duckworth seconded the motw? n > whiehfwas earned. TIROTTKOMOANA RESERVE. Mr Duckworth suggested that" Mr Atkinson should give the meeting an account of his trip to Wellington regarding the proposed- Tirotirornoana reserve. -Mr Atkinson said, that he had very little to relate- as the visit had been a failure. He wasted all one day "airing his heels" on the pavementup and down to the Parliamentary buildings, trying to" get a hearing with Sir Joseph Ward. Three -times he called. and each time he was told to J' come again." He did '-come again," and finally with Mr Major-, who was most courteous, caught Sir Joseph in the lo\>by.~ He put the matter before Sir Joseph, who expressed lympathyovith. him, and made a note of the .matter. After.Mr Atkinson " returned he saw~by the Star that Sir ~ Joseph" had reported "that Turuturumpkai had been set aside as a .reserve. " It was through- this mistake^ on the part of the Minister that no good had resulted from the -visit. The Chairman moved a vote of thanks to" - M<- Atkinson for the interest he had dieplayed in the.ma.tter; Mr Hicks seconded. — Carried. PROPOSED TAX ON STALLIONS. The Chairman (Mt Davidson) said he had observed that Mr ' Major, the member for the district, had, in the House,- again brought up the matter of taxing stallions. The Chairman could not see why -Mr Major should, - support - this proposal as it was strongly against- the, principles-_of the A. and P. Society, and the general feeling "" of- the district. The A. and P. Society had been against it for a great number of years and Mr -uajor must therefor© have been aware of the fact that he/was not supf oiling the wishes, of the district. Th? Chairman wa6 not in sympathy" with the movement and did not_see why any poor man should be - compelled" to pay such a tax. Mr "Grant said the object of the tax would be to do away with the weedy offsprings of the poorer, class of stallions. - Mr Duckworth looked at the matter in the same light" as the Chairman. Mr Taylor considered' that a thorough inspection should be made in the very first _ instance, as there wexe lots of horses in tlie district that "were weedy but not unsound. Various remarks were made to "the effectthat the stallions were not always to blame, tlie mares in many cases being at fault; that there weTe very few unsound stallions in the district; and that the carrying into effect of the scheme would do more iiarm than good. — Others- thought that if the.icheme were udopted tlie desired effect would beprodnced in the course of time. " - The discussion - eventually wore itself - out. ' ..-"■- TARIFF ON POTATOES. -_ Mr Robertson. moved, That the Provincial Executive be asked to get the opinion of the -branches as to whether- the present tariff on agricultural produce is in the interests of the farmers or not. ' " - Mr" Forbes 6aidthat if _the duty were removed in ajiase "when potatoes were scarce-here and plentiful in Tasmania they would be sent over here- in" great quantities. The market would be flooded} and when the New Zealand crops came on the price would be-down below- normal. The Chairman said "that' that "might be so, but it could also apply ,in the -opposite direction. . ~ " Mr Forbes : But will -they knock-off their tariff? ", - -- - Mr .Atkinson presumed that the _ New Zealand -Government would not remove tue duty unless the other Australasian colonies - reciprocated. - ' ' ~ Mr Duckworth said-he was against the motion. He would Tat her see _ matters stand -as they were. " — _ The motion was put, and on a show of hands. lost. Those voting in itsjayor were Messrs Robertson, -Hicks, and Mills, and those against the Chairman, Messrs Duckworth, Forbes, Grant, and Atkinson. Mr Taylor did not vote. - A "VETERINARY SCHEME. Mr Mills- said that, seeing the efforts of some oi tne Executive to get veterinary surgeons for the "province had proved fruitless, he uiought" it advisable that the Hawera branch should move in getting one for the district. The Chairman _-asked Mt Mills :f he could formulatc.a.ny~scheme. - *"~Mr Mills thought the matter could bo, . \vorked_all right. There wctc over -100 members in the Hawera branch, and if the other branciies within a radius of 10 or 12" miles mid good memberships the mdi- • vidual guarantee - would not conic very heavy, and there ehould be.no difficulty in raiding, tay, £300. as salary money.. He had mentioned the matter to a number of people, and had only-met one man who had said it would be of no advantage to him to have a vet. resident in the district. Several Eltham people had asked hinrto suggest that. Eltham should lie included when the radius line was being

considered. The suppliers of the Hawera Dairy Co. numbered about 90, and he thought that to a man they would fall in with the idea. Then there were tue suppliers to the Normanby and Riverdale factories, aJid port-ion of the suppliers to ] Mells, Kaupokonui. Joll's, and Eltham factories and, of course, intermediate factories. Drawing from the branches of the Union and the dairy factories mentioned several hundred subscribers would be obtained, and there were others, top, who jrould be interested in the question. He would prefer to see the matter worked by the Union if it could be done, but if it could not every effort should be made to secure one independently from that body. The Chairman said he quite agreed that a veterinary surgeon should be resident in the district. He had done his best in the matter but the Executive had not seen its way to carry the proposals into effect.." However, he was determined to keep at the matter till they got one for this district at least. He thought it would be a good idea ih_ connection with Mr Mills' scheme, to give every man likely to be interested a blank -form on which he could stake the amount he was ~ willing to contribute. The amount would be in black' and white, and while ~in the hands of the branch authorities, the man" who signed the paper would be bound to pay up. Mr~ Atkinson asked Mr Mills if it was his idea that the matter should be worked up independently of the Union. If it was not he thought Mr Mills should have come to the meeting with estimates prepared. It would be an easy matter to ascertain how much' the dairy factory — suppliers would be prepared to subscribe, and if the figures could i>e put befofe-the Union it would be of great assistance. — : ' The Chairman suggested that the- information should be got and a canvass then' made "of the branches within the area defined by Mr Mills. Mr Atkinson thought a circular,, would meet the case. ■- "~ Mr Mills" moved. That it is desirable that the services of a duly qualified veterinary surgeon be obtained to work withm a radius of, say. 12 "miles- of Hawera for the benefit of the Union Mr Grant seconded the motion, which was carried.

Mr Duckworths then moved, That" a copy of the resolution be sent to the branches within the area stated, and each branch be invited to send two delegates to confer with a committee set up by the Hawera branch to discuss matters of appointment, guarantee, etc., the conference to take place on October 19, at 3 p.m. Mr Mills secojidedj Carried. Mr Duckworth then moved, That- the ' Chairman" and Mr_JMills. be- the Hawera delegates. . - - -, Tlip Chairman -thought- that" Hawera •should have three delegates. ; Mr Atkinson proposed that Mr Grant-be, the other delegate. - - —

It was then pointed, out that the reso-_ lution provided for only two delegatesfrom each branch. Mr Duckworth's motion was seconded*" by* Mr Robinson and carried. _ "--.

The meeting then rose.