FARMERS' UNION

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 10 September 1921, Page 7

FARMERS' UNION

TARANAKI EXECUTIVE^

PROPOSED SALE OF POISONS ACT Upon resuming after lunch, the meeting further considered the Pharmacy Board's proposed amendments to the Sale of Poisons Act. It was osaerf% though* that && further t<t&stn**ons an* regulations proposed would prove unnecessarily irksome and burd«asome t<* country districts, and would tend to further mcreas* th» cost of drugs. A suggestion- was mad* that aft bottles containing poison* should tiSt-only bf so Jabeilid ffboW letters, fatl should1 have also the b«t and most simple antSdote plainly printed undenWL Many a * Hf/ JouM have been saved, fo* example had simple antidotes f6r poisoning Wn known and allied pending the j»riT*l of a doctor. Likewise if everyone was aware that in? the case of burns car«m oil, the TWlk- of an* efeg, or any sobstance tbatr would erdiide air applied immediately was tntf proper course to pursue until a doctor's services could be secured.' After discussion it was revived to oppose the provisions in the Bill witnhoiding. the right'to a liceme" to a storekeeper or trader to sell poisons if within four miles o# a chemise. It was field that no distance limit should he an^posed so long as the storekeeper or trader was a fit and" proper person to Sj^Lwfß- li vas also- contfenßed that the Health Department, and not the Pharmacy Board, should be the final arbiters ixf the matter of the issue of licenses. PROPOSED TBYE/TAX AND MAIN ROADS. Mr Betts mentioned that the Manaia I branch had passed a resolution opposlmg the Government's proposed tyre [ tax. The more he considered this mattec the clearer it was that this proposal was going to be unjust. Tara.nua., .-would be heavily taxed under Una scheme, but apparently the proceeds were to be spent forming and mamtaining main roads elsewhere-. Th» chairman remarked that they had^not yet seen a copy of the-- pjro-- | posed Bill, consequently they could n, ot x v«fy well discuss it. He was sure ! taat the majority of Taranakiipeopfewould. strongly oppose any legislation that wa» designed to collect revenue here to be spent elsewhere. Mr Astbury considered this Government proposal .something like Mr McNab and! his cows. He was going to> tax individual cows to find the cos&ef administering his Dairy Bill. Theeproposal to tax tyres was exactly the same:- in; principle as the proposal to tax cows.. Motor cars were an 'absolutely necessary part of their busifiew hfe nowadays; they did away with the necessity for many horses, and they simply fed1 benzine to a car instead:of grass .to a horse. The Government should tax the four-wheeled waggon andt tfte- inro-wheeled gig equally aa much as the four wheels of a car if they were going to be consistent. Mr Maxwell considered that thia proposal went deeper than, the mete question; of a tyre tax; it aimed at centralisation of administration, to the detriment of local government. Most places were fighting for local government and against centralisation, and were they now going to allow the Government' to restrict their functions? It would be s serious mistake if they gave* up. any of their local government privileges,, and particularly in regard to- the administration of their roads. These proposals would be an expense on the direct taxpayer,, who would have no say in the administration. The proper principle was for tha^fc^ who found the money to have the principal say in its expenditure. Under the new | proposals the Government would deI cide- what were to be main roads, and . those who- had already heavily rated ' ! themselves by ordinary and special j ratins; m rarake^ tfcofeugMy^g^ roads wifcKm- their territory would be at a huge disadvantage, were to be again taxed to maintain roads that j they had" already uaid for, and to construct roads in other places where the people had been neglectful. The chairman said that at the recent conference at" Eltham it waa mentioned' that ruSber tyreswereabsoliitely necessary to theglife of tarred i road's. , 't- r Astbury added that a, man wha had had a good deal of experience of I tarred' road work told him "that' what

really kept the surface of these roads was the spent oil from motor cars and lorries. Mr Maxwell, continuing, said it 1 would be just as absurd to tax motor cars to-day as it would have-been to tax horse traffic when it first-became 1 general Because it was faster than bullock drays. The motor car was the ( recognised modern means of transit, 'and benefited the man who had' not a car. as well as the man who owned one . Settlers purchased their land' on the -J clear understanding; that sucfi land 1 was liable for its quota for the maintenance, of roads in that district, and because methods of transit had altered . they simply had to adapt themselves to such altered conditions. I It was finally resolved" that the executive was opposed to the proposed , tax on tyres or Main Road' Bill, or to , any powers to be taken by the Central Gevernment to levy taxes.for the I maintenance or control" of" main roads. BRANDING OF JeALTES. Mr. Allen brought up the matter of the branding of calves, in. the children's

calf-rearing competition: He pouit^d out that for purposes, of. identification it would be much be,c:3r for all concerned if some such scheme were decided on. The Matapu branch was very much in favour of tois* and he thought that the Union should: have some brand. He would move in the direction indicated. Mr. Bennett seconded and said that something shouldi be done^ as it was a very "simple matter. On Mr. Maxwell's- suggestion the motion .was altered to read that they should consult with the Agricultural Department and the Education Board as to the advisability of branding calves entered for the calf-rearing competition, so that such calves could be easily identified.—The motion was carried. REQUEST FOR LECTURES. On the- motion of the chairman and Mr. Maxwell it was decided to write to Mr. Deem asking that a series of lantern lectures on agricultural subjects be given at different centres throughout. T&raiiaki. - -