ARIA.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XI, Issue 1013, 3 October 1917, Page 5

ARIA.

Own Correspondent Last Thursday evening a meeting of the Aria branch of the Farmers' Union was held in Mrs Willis' boardinghouse For three dava previous the union's organiser, Mr Tancred Cooper, piloted by tbe branch secretary, Mr Geo. Nulson, had visited different parts of the district with the object of awakening interest. Tha result was highly pleasing, so much so, that the Aria branch has now 34 financial members. The first business was the election of officers, resulting in Mr E. J. Graham being chosen president, Messrs P. D. Smythe and A. J. Keighley, vice-presidents: Mr C. J. Riddle, delegate; Mr Geo. Nelson, secretary: and Messrs A. Morgan, T. Ward, Cruickshank and S. Riddle, as committeemen. A pleasing featura is that each part of the district is represented Mr Cooper then addressed the meeting and in hia forcible, lucid, manner, showed the necessity for a Farmers' Union and the good that could be done by all pulling together. He enlarged upon the farmers' duty to the Empire at ths present time and tbe. fact that New Zealand must depend' for its wealth upon the land. The Meat Trust menace was criticised and its methods of stretching uut its tentacles both here and in the Old Country described. Export and import; sale of our produce, the supply of our requirements, the mutual assistance of farmers to one another, local questions such as lime development, locomotion were all more than touched upon. He made it quite clsar that party politics were barred, but that the union could be made a source of great assistance to the Agricultural Dep-irtment by giving well-thought-out advice. Tha voice of all the farmers too would command attention and be tha means of redress of grievances and progress. Let the motto be measures, not men. The labour problem, too. could rrceive the careful attention of all farmers and officials, and a united line of action determined upon. Te Kuiti would be lha monthly meeting place of the delegates with a resident organiser, who at all times would ba at tho service of the branches. In time farmers' co-op. stores would result at convenient centres. Mr Cooper congratulated Aria upon the strength of its branch and wished it all success, in return he was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his address and for the enthusiasm he had awoke in his tour the previous three days. Mr A. J. Keighley expressed the opinion that the district should again do something to raise funds for the Y.M.C.A., and it wbb resolved that the branch committee take the matter in hand. Mr C. J. Riddle introduced the subject of a soldiers' memorial and Messrs Nelson and Petrie spoke in sympathy, a suggestion being made that the Aria branch Hall be bought and thoroughly renovated. At the invitation of the president the meeting enjoyed supper supplied by Mra Willis.