FARMERS' UNION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 14386, 31 May 1907, Page 10

FARMERS' UNION.

PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE. Representatives of tho North Canterbury branches of tho New Zealand Farmers' Union met in conference at the rooms of tho Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association yesterday. There were present—Messrs P. Jones (president). W. T. Lill (Aehfrurtou), J. G. A. Ruddenkku (Gust), D. Mulholland (Darfield), 0. Shcat (Duiisandel), J. W. Wa,rren (Greendale), G. Neill (Greenpark), H. Eaglepome (Halswell), W. Hall (Hororatn), R Evans (Kaiapoi), R. Johnson ■ (Kvrwee), A. Gmn (Malvern), H.T Cooper and A. Meyers (Oxford), 0. F. Clothier (Waikari), G. W. Leadley (colonial vicepresident) and J. W. Patchett (secretary of the Prebbleton branch). Messrs S S. • Chapman , (Ashburton), E. G. Hubbard'(Ellesmere) and M. F. Ryan (Springston.) took their scats later in tie day. , Mr J. C. Cooper was introduced by iihe president, who said that Mr Cooper was vice-president of the Wellington executive. He had been helping the Canterbury district in the Land BUI campaign, and the delegates had to thank him far his valuable work. The conference resolved that Mr Cooper should be invited to take part in the discussions. PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. Mr Jones delivered hie presidential address. He said that the year's work bad been fairly heavy for many reasons, and he thought, satisfactory. As it had touched them as'farmers tho year had been a trying one. The Exhibition had come and gone and had undoubtedly had a great educational »ffeot. The Agricultural Department was especially to be congratulated on ite fine display, and the excellent work it had done. He hoped that the utmost publicity would be given to the results of the very interesting experiments that had been made by the DenarfcmeiLt. Unfortunately, the ExlubiItai had. come in one of Canterbury s worst yeara, and, visitors who had heard of the wonderful crops,laind,pastures of the province'Wd 'perhaps been disappointed. The year had looked at one tune as if it'was to be disastrous to the farmers; i? butthe wonderful colony had demonstrated its great ouaiities by making a fine recovery. The New Zealand fanner was veiry hard to bea,i. With his modern methods, 'tis gains from science and his skilful work, it was very seldom that anything could, overcome the capability, refouroefulness" and " industry of the farmer.'. In dealing'with'the matter of land, values, which were very high, the Socialist never took into consideration the fact'that it was very largely the •kill of the men on the soil that created the values. ' It. was the skill of their fathers and themselves in bringing New Zealand to such a state of prosperity that made the high values. The Socialist put everything down to the unearned increment. It was a very convenient phrase, but it would not bear looking into. (Applause.) During the year the support or tho Union was asked for the movement to establish a new chemical laboratory at Canterbury College. The proposal was well worthy of their support, tor a chemical laboratory would be-of great benefit to the farming industry. Tho Union was interesting itself in the subject of agricultural education, and the colonial president (Mr J. G. Wilson) deserved their thanks for his efforts. The Education Boards were giving tho subject some little prominence, but there was »till need for vigorous action. There Was a tendency among young people to pome in to the possibly cleaner and Jnore enticing life of tho city, and to counteract that they must bo given an interest in the country life through their school work. Co-operation m (business by farmers continued to be, on the whole, very successful, especially in dairying and froezing t but there was also a great opportunity for cooperation in the disposal of wool. It was for the small grower of wool that he spoke." The largo grower could look out for himself, and could pay competent olassers, but the smaller man must mat put up his wool into too many lots or the prices would suffer. By systematic co-operation they might help one another to do the best with their wool. Co-operative-shearing sheds had been established in many centres, but they were not entirely satisfactory, an they were not in a big enough way. If the farmer* went in more largely for those sheds, and had their wool graded and pooled, it would bo subject to the Keenest competition, and would bring them ft penny or twopence, or even threepence a pound more than they were getting. In bringing the country producer and the city consumer closer together, the Farmers' Saleyards recently established in Christchurch had been of some value. There was need for a central market, and it would be successful when the city people realised that it was in the power of the farmers i to help them. In spite of tho drought, the year had been a record one for exports. That was satisfactory, but he wished to mention one point, the expenditure of the colony, even at the risk of being told by the " Lyttelton Times" that he had no right to discuss a question that belonged to politics. The expenditure was keeping pace with the income even in tho years of great prosperity. ,iThp expenditure for less than a million people last year was over seven mUlions..t;_lb was all very well to point to the seventeen millions of exports, but it was not so much that the exports were increasing in volume as that higher prices wei'e being obtained for them. When prices receded, -as ■ they must do, they would have to ask themselves a very material question, for money-would be needed and the farmers-Would'be the first to be asked for it. . They must ask themselves ' whether the. country could go on I .as at present, „Jn prosperous times should they not'hold a,,tight rein on expenditure rather than be as lavish as in the pastP ' (Applause!) ■„: After referring to the Land Bill, Mr Jones concluded his speech by thanking the executive for its support during the year, and expressing his hope for its Xuture.successful work. The annual report of_ the executive, traversing the work of the year, was adopted and it waa agreed that discussion of the treasurer's report thould be taken at 11 a.m. on the following day. 'ELECTION OF OFFICERS. Mr> Jones was re-elected president and Mr M. F. Ryan vice-president. Mr Wilfred Hall was elected honorary Sreasurer and Mr T. H. Gaverhill auitor. It wa« decided, on the motion of the" chairman, that a congratulatory message should be sent to the Southland Coaifereuce, which will meet tomorrow. ' AUCTIONEERS' LICENSES. . Mr H. T. Cooper moved; that an Oxford branch remit should be sent to tho Colonial Conference. The remit was—- " Tihat the Auctioneers' Act for 1891 be mo amended as to enable auctioneers to take out licenses from ainy Read Board or County Council in whose district regular" stock sales are held by their firms." The motion was seconded by Mr Meyers and carried. RISK OF FIRE. Mr Leadley moved, for-the Ashburton branch— That in view of the largo and serious losses sustained by farmers and graziers through fires, tlie Government be asked to pass a measure on similar lines to the Careless Use of Fire Act, 1906 of i\ew South Wales. Mr LeadJey said that tho year had been an unfortunate one in the matter of fires. In his district traction engines had. caused a lot of trouble during the dry weatheT. The Act of New South iWales forbade carrying fire within certain distances of stacks, grain crops and fences, or leaving fires burning in the open. Mr Lill seconded the motion. Mr Ruddenkluu eaid that the carelessness of passengers on. railway trains

was a frequent cause.of fire and railway engines also were to blame. He thought that tho Railway Department should be asked to put notices in railway carriages caut.ion.ing_ passengers against throwing lighted cigarette'ends, matches or pipe ashes from the trains. THE GRADUATED LAND TAX. Mr Leadley moved for tho Ashburton branch—" That this conference proteste against any further increase of tho graduated land tax, as hinted at by Mr M'Nab in several of his recent addresses on the Land Bill; and regrets that tho leader of tho Opposition has signified his willingness to accept and support tho proposed increase." The mover said that. Mr M'Nab had gone too far in offering to increase the land tax. T'hoy did not object to tho tax, but they thought it heavy enough. He was sorry that Mr Massey had agreed to an increase, for the principle was wrong. The valuators were increasing the valuations, and through them the tax. If more revenue- was wanted for direct taxation it should be got from the income tax. That would bo a perfectly fair arrangement. Mr J. C. Cooper seconded the motion, saying that the conference should give as strong a voice on it as on the Land Bill. Tlioy wero given the option of the Land Bill or the increased tax, and ho believed that it would be better to take the Bill than the increased tax, for the effect of tho Bill would be the more sudden. The tax proposed was based on tho principle of land nationalisation. It was suggested that the increased revenue could be got from other taxation, but why, he asked, should they want more revenue. The Colonial Treasurer announced a surplus every year, and that should be enough for them. New Zealand was more heavily taxed than any of the Australian States, but New Zealanders still had to compete with other countries in the markets of tho world, and to be prepared to accept the same prices as other countries. He thought that they should not ask for any increased taxation. Mr Lill said that the land tax had been nearly doubled in seven years, and he did not know where they wero going to stop. He thought that the man who got land was getting trouble, and though he supposed that they would bave to stick to their land, he sometimes thought that the best thing they could do would be to go to the Government and ask for billets. They could not advocate an increased land tax, for it was already too heavy. Mr. Mulholland said that he could hardly support the motion. He believed that the land tax was still at Id, but he thought that it was the graduated tax that was to be increased. Ho took it that Mr Massey had suggested an increased tax only as a lever to induce large owners to get rid of their land. It would not affect the bona fide small farmers, however, but only those who were holding large areas unprofitably. ~. . . Mr Evans said that ho believed m making the man in the town pay just as much in taxation as the man in the country. Mr Warren said that those that the graduated tax was touching wore those with largo holdings, not the small farmers. The larger properties were often very considerably undervalued, and the owners could well afford to submit to a heavier tax. Mr Sheat said that valuations in Canterbury had gone up about 30 percent, though the land could produce no more than it had done. The owners should not bo further penalised. If a greater revenue was required, it was time that the Government set its: hous© in order and curtailed the expenses on some of the institutions that could easily be dispensed with. ( The motion was declared carried unanimously. TAXATION OF MORTGAGES.

The following Ashburton remit was ! moved by Mr .beadley : —" That tho system of treating mortgages as land under tho Land Tax Act is a cruel injustice to land-owners, as thereby the Government collects tax twice over on the same amount—first from the mortgagee on his loan, and then from the mortgagor on his; capital. Mr Leadley said that land-owners were now taxed upon their debts. The farmer who borrowed _ money on his land had to pay taxation on tho full value of his-land, including that on which he had borrowed, and the mortgagee also had to pay taxation on the money lent. Mr Evans seconded tho motion, saying that he was opposed to the principle of the tax, as being legislation for one class of people. The farmers were preipared to submit to reasonable and failtaxation, but he held that they were asked to bear far more than their share. The motion was l carried. FENCING CROWN LANDS. Mr H. T. Cooper moved, for the Oxford branch—" That the Government should share the responsibility of fencing unleased and reserved Crown lands with adjoining eettlere^' Mr Meyers seconded the motion, which was carried. PREVENTION OF WEEDS. Another Oxford remit was moved by Mr Meyers, namely—" That the Land Board be approached, to sow down with good grasses or "cut up " any recently burnt country throughout the colony, as, if the weeds ai'c allowed to take possession, a serious loss will bo occasioned to tho State." The mover eaid that farmers always hastened to sow down burnt land, but.the Crown allowed its lauds to be and become a nuisance to neighbours. In the Oxford district much land was let for bush-felling, and while the leasees were under no compulsion to sow, tho Crown could not, so said the Lan<l Boards, otep in to improve tho land. Mr Cooper moved as an amendment —"That the Government instruct the various Land Boards of the. colony to surface sow with cocksfoot or permanent grasses such of its unleased Crown forest lands as may bo burned from time to time, as soon as possible, after such a burn, and that tho land as dealt with bo sub-divided to> suit settlement in the neighbourhood and offered to tho public under the optional system of settlement." Mr Meyers waff given leave to withdraw his motion in favour of the amendment, which was carried. GRAIN RETURNS. On the motion of Mr Hubbard, on behalf of the Ellesmere branch, seconded by Mr Leadley, it was agreed—- " That the whole system of collecting and publishing the annual returns of grain production is eminently unsatisfactory and misleading, and that the Government be again approached with a view to obtaining from threshingmachine owners quarterly returns cf all grain threshed by them." RAILWAY WEIGHTS. The following Ellesmere remit was carried—" That the Railway Department be urged, in- all cases when farm produce is weighed and charged for, to furnish the net weight carried to the farmer as well as to the merchant." THE SHEEP TAN. A motion moved by Mr Jones (Tenipleton) in favour of the abolition of the sheep tax was carried. SHEEP BRANDS. On the motion of Mr Lill, for tho Ashburton branch, it was resolved—-

"That tho Government bo asked te> publish for sale a. book containing a copy of all tho registered sheep brands used in the South Island." SHEEP TRUCKS. The following remit from the Malvern branch, moved by Mr Gunn, was carried —"That tho attention of the Railway Department be called to tho manner in. which the sheep trucks are cleaned, the groove in which the door slides being left full of the sweepings, which freeze in winter, and make it impossible to close the door without injuring it, boiling water having often to be procured, causing loss of time, and often delaying the train." It was decided that a copy of the motion should bo sent to the District Traffic Manager. The conference adjourned until 10 a.m. on the following day.