FARMERS' UNION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 19 April 1922, Page 6

FARMERS' UNION.

WAVERLEY BRANCH.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) ' The annual meeting of the-Waverley - branch of the Favmers' Ur.ion was held , in the supper rooms of the Town Hall j on Thursday last, Mr." G. McGregor ; (president) occupying the chair, and i about 20 members being present. The 1 report (published below) was taken as read and confirmed on the voices. The balance sheet, as submitted, and showing a credit balance of £19 4s, was after a short discussion, also adopted as read. The election of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mr. A. Elmslie; vice-president, Mr. F. Blennerhassett; secretary Mr. J. E. Palmer; treasurer, I Mr. A. Howie; committee, Messrs B. J Harvey, G. Aiken. S. Aifeen, W. J. Johnston, W. Muldrock, W. H. Watkins, Barrow, Belton, A. 12. Symes, G. McGregor, F. Johnston, A. Boyer, and F. Finer; delegate to Farmers' Union Conference, Mr. A. Elmslie. ' It was moved that in future all meetings be held on the first Friday in the month on which the Associated Auc- [ tioneers hold their sale... j Subscriptions were ixed as follows; Up to capital value of £4000, £1 per annum, and a rise of os for every £300 in capital value, the maximum subscription to be £2 per annum. It was moved that the following be sent forward as a remit from this branch to the Provincial Farmers' ! Union Conference: "That all wool sold at wool sales, be paid for on net I weight." j A telegram from Mr. E. Dixon, M.P., j was read in the meetivig, stating that the Minister of Public Works would be in Waverley on Wednesday next at 6 p.m. . A hearty vote of thanks to the chair concluded the meeting at 4.45 p.m. The president's report stated inter alia:—"l wish first of all to congratulate those members of our committee who have so consistently supported this branch during the year now ended, and so helped in many and varied ways the work which it is -necessary to do each month. It has been a difficult year for farmers—a season of depression, with prices for primary products far below their value and cost of production. Towards the end of 1921 the prospects ad round were indeed gloomy, and with no promise of a silver lining to the heavy cloud of discouragement. Now, happily, there are clear indications of a recovery in several of our staple products. Ac a union we have not made the progress this year that we hoped to at the outset. Still, numerous objects have "been accomplished, and with so much good work waiting to he I done members will recognise. that the i aim and purpose of our organisation ij I to promote the best interests of each ; and.every individual: It was thought I that a change to evening meetings '.would be for the better, and that more ' would be able to attend, but the, result has in a measure not been satisfactory. We have missed many familiar faces from the meetings, hitherto staunch supporters, and I would rerommend a return to the afternoon sessions for the ensuing year. Our future largely depends upon our individual energy, and } thus the welfare of our branch depends J upon the activity of its members, our ! goal being the prosecution of mutual understanding and co-operation. Everyone actively connected with farming must recognise that now at this time,

and more than ever before, should we / conserve all our resources and organise j in a manner that will both benefit the producer and consumer. J am not forgetful of the value of the good work done by the Farmers' Union in the past, and of the services of those connected with it. The meat pool, or Meat Control Board, so recently set up was our Dominion president' s~ own idea. Put into other words, it means 'cooperative marketings.' Mr. Poison has striven consistently for this particular object and voiced his opinion from one end of the Dominion to the other, and I am confident that in the coming years this system will give substantial aid to the producers, and I trust will lead to a better understanding and greater unity among farmers. The Farmers Union has noble and unselfish aims. One of them, which I trust will not be overlooked, is to market its primary products 'in such an efficient manner that t4ie consumer will get a better article at a lower price. To-day a combination ef .interests is able xo handle produce and raw material ti> the disadvantage of producer, while the producer often sells in a haphazard manner and operates against himself, i In short, the producers are not yet ! sufficiently united in their methods to j be able to dictate the distribution or disposal of their own material, which ultimately reaches the consumer at a price out of all proportion to its original cost, restricts consumption, and Goes not tend to promote the goodwill of the town towards the country. This is a matter the farmer ton id overcome by better organisation. The demand for our beef is absoluely paralysed, and the store oattle market is in a deplorable condition. New Zealand beef on the Home market is subject to the greatest competition from the Argentine, and our good name on the Smithfield market is not commanding the attention accorded to it in pre-war days. Our commandeered beef, purchased during the war and now of doubtful quality, is still held in stock, and effectively used against our trade^ —dumped f'n the market beside prime quality reshly killed and chilled Argentine meat. To my mind t~Eis is a most serious matter for the outlook of our beef trade. Who will deny but that organisation is essential here, and that we could very well start now at this end by asking that 100 per cent, efficiency be given by all who handle the stock from the time it leaves the farm until it reaches the consumers. I conclude by wishing my successor the help and co-operation of every member connected with the Waverley branch."