N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXVII, Issue LXXVII, 23 May 1919, Page 5

N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

TARANAKI PROVINCIAL CONFERi ENCE.

The 19th annual provincial conference opened at New Plymouth this morning, Air R. Dunn presiding over an excellent attendance ot delegates. The decision to hold tn.s year's conference at New Plymouth was influenced by th e awakened interest in the union shown by farmers in the district lying between New Plymouth and Opunake, und in Northern TaranaM generally. The union's secretary, Mr liuckeridge, has recently spent a lot of time organising North Taranaki, and delegates fiom a number of branches recently formed testified to the success of his work, and introduced a number of new representatives to the Provincial Conference.

After roll call the chairman delivered hjs presidential address a s follows:—

Gentlemen: When we met together at cur conference last year the war was u-aging with unabated fury, and we had Mtle thought that the Central Powers were so near the end of their resomces, and that the genius of Marshal Foch, with the co-ordination and determination of the Allied Powers and their valiant armies, would so quickly turn th e tables and bring our treacherous foes to their knees, and so place the principles of liberty and justice within the' reach of every nation on earth. It was predicted that industrial troubles would arise when the fighting ceased,' and sure enough industrial troubles have come, or that is the extcuso that is given, for the unrestthat prevails practically in every country at t'h c present time. It seems to me that | certain extremists think this an opportune time, before things can get back to their normal state, to cause a a much inconvenience as possible, and whose whole ambition in life seems to be to upset or hinder our whole (social status and offers nothing in its place. It irs good to note that the great majority of the people are imbued with saner and more helpful ideas.

The two leaders of the New Zealand Parliament have been absent from this country for some considerable time attending the Peace Conference, and one hears the man in the street saying that they would be doing better work in New Zealand carrying on the Parliamentary work of the Dominion. Those who talk in this strain must have a grouch, for our leaders have done good service for this Dominion at the Peace Conference. In the Dominion getting a mandate over Samoa, the trade will be beneficial. The farmers impressed on the Government the need for getting control of some one of the phosphate! islands in the Pacific. Through' or.r leaders attending the conference this Dominion gets a third share of Nauru phosphate island, which will be of great benefit to the farmers of this country, and I an certain that wnen we get a report of what has been done at the Peace Conference the people of this Dominion will be proud of out representatives.

It seems that every year those who have an interest in the "welfare of this Dominion have to keep on agitating for more vigor to be put into the land for settlement policy of this country. But ib is rather strange that very few of our politieian 3 bring these matters before the House and the people. Why ? It seems to m 9 that to carry on a. vigorous land settlement policy in these times that railways, roads and bridges must be carried oh simultaneously > which means borrowing, and few of our representatives care to go before the country and advocate borrowing for public works, but I would point out that railways and roads to further settlement will be productive works,, and will give a return for the expenditure. A business man wishing to increase his output of a certain commodity will spend a considerable sum to further that end, and the same argument holds good with the State. Tne only way in which this Dominion can progress n.nd meet its liabilities is by encouraging new settlement and increasing farm production. This can ha done by bribing new lands into cultivation and increasing the number" of settlers. I .believe that it would be good business if the State would partly develop and improve new lands so that men of small means could make a living on them from the stark. It would enable every man in occupation to be a producer at once, aud adding to the wealth, of tht Dominica instead of carrying on a heart-breaking, almost hopeless struggle, such as some of the early pioneers had to go through in the early days of breaking in the lands of Taranaki.'

. "Science has influenced agriculture to a great extent, Take, for example, chemistry, and consider Elie application of chemical and bacteriological laws and facts to the operation at'- the various branches of farming, and it is at once seen how science helps us. Take biology in its varying aspects, and we must acknowledge how helpful it is to agricuU ture. For it explaius the origin and life history and nature of our domasticated live stock, , our cultivated crops, aud the pests which the farmer has to fight. In the United States agricultural training and practice are far more advanced than in any other coxsn-" try in the world. The process in the development of the materM resources of a nation depends more on the training of its leaders than on the rank and nib. The Americans have promoted higher education in all its branches in order to be furnished with a supply of special scientists, engineers, chemists, organisers and administrators on whoso , activity the economic future of the na- | tion largely depends. They hold that an efficient system of agricultural education is essential to national progress. They contend that money spent in the development of agricultural knowledge is a wise national investment, and is repaid to the nation many times over in increased national prosperity. According to Mr A. E. V. Richardson, M.A., B.Sc., Agricultural Superintendent in Victoria, wiTo gathered a wealth of vatuabte information during his recent visit to America, the bill for agricultural education research and extension in the United States already approximated £12,000,000. The colleges ( and experimental stations have devoted their main efforts to increasing the profits from farming. Agriculture, it is maintained, is not only a business but & mode of life as well, *and if it is to he successful in the latter domain it must afford to its devotees the same comforts of life as are obtainable in other occupations."

I think sufficient has been said to show the value of science in agriculture, and if this Dominion is to have a prosperous, contented and stable country population, it would be well for • the Government of this country to find out if there is not something to b© learned from the United States of America which could be adopted to the advantage of this Dominion. One of the distinctive aspects of American farm life is the provision of' comforts and con* veniences. The rural telephone, ade*quate lighting and water systems, the use of shelter and ornamental trees, the development of the farm garden, 'machinery and ingenious mechanical devices to cheapen production and make labor easier for his family and his hired help, and even his animals are

thd objective in the American sys.t.?m of agricultural education. The past season in Taranaki, so far as the dairying is ocn'cernedT 9 has been a good one, although following on a' very severe winter., when the Vitality of a great numner of the liprds were so reduced by the severity oillie weather that ■ in the early part of the season the output was very much below that of the previous spring, but favored with ,a moist summer, the continuous growthof succulent grass enabled the dairy-. man to overtake th° loss that took place 1 ia the spring, and when the returns are j all in there should be an increase on the 1917-18 output. In referring to the sq-| vere winter brings to mind a practici. ~j that is much to be deplored in '"lara-j naki, where so many farms change i hands every winter. The party going j out eats out every hlade of gra':.:■>; m i some cases even buying more st-wk t«> j eat it down. I think this practice; should be stopped, and I would advise | anyone buying to have a clause in the ] agreement limiting the number of stock j

to be earned until possession is given j to the new occupier. I know that ow-s ing to this mean practice a number of dairymen suffer very severely through] losses of stock every'year. | There appears every likelihood that: the stores will be very nearly cleared j of dairy produce when the new season j commences, and it will be a relief to,1 dairy companies, more especially to those who have been storing their own cheese, to see the cool chambers cleared after such a prolonged congestion, andi if we could only see a substantial roduc- ] tion in freights ■n. would tend to bring j about a better and more contented f pel- j ing througthout the Dominion. There is no doubt that the exorbitant charges for freight is a prime factor in the increased cost of many commodities needed on the farm.

The values of wool, meat, cheese and) butter requisitioned by the Imperial au-i thorities amounted to- Greasy wool, 37 V millions; meat, 35 millions; butter and cheese, 19£ millions. The total amount' of cheese- purchased amounts to 1,859,-' 901 crates, and payments in respect of { cheese amounted to £13,476,529. There were on April 28 498,624 crates in store awaiting shipment. . j The British, as a. nation, are apath-. etic, until something stirs them, and there is no more apathetic section of the' nation than the farmer —producer of; the raw material for almost everythingl that the world requires. The united \ farmers could wield a great power in i the general government of the country, j but their indifferent attitude in manyi cases to everything but their own im-j mediate surroundings prevent then: j even protecting their own interests. The lack of interest taker: by the farmer in the meetings of their local branches of the Farmers' Union is pure indifference on their j?art. Simply because there is no burning question before the Union all the time they do not bother to attend the meetings, and yet on a general discussion on any subject connected with farming, there should be something new and of interest to them all. There is always something more xhe farmer can learn, information casually picked up that will often save pounds in some future operations. Experience is a great educator, but the man who can make use of another fellow's experience gets along a lot faster. In their own interests i+, is to be hoped farmers will pull together and support their Union and make their local branch meetings attractive by introducing interesting discussions on farming questions, and by so doing make the meeting of mutual benefit to each other. In conclusion. I would point out that union is strength: united we can each do our bit to help to make and to keep this Dominion the brightest jewel of our great Empire.