FARMERS' UNION.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 123, 1 June 1910, Page 2

FARMERS' UNION.

SOUNDS BRANCH.

The annual meeting of the above •was held at Crail Bay on Wednesday, May 25. Mr W. T. Erskine was in -the chair, and there were' also present: Mr John Duncan, M.P., and Messrs J. H. Black, M. Greensill, J. H. Mill, L. Schinkel, G. Anderson, G. Wells, G. McNabb, J. Macdonald, D. Foote, C. Borck, J. Aikman, H. C. Christian, J. D. Foote, J. Hibbert, J. Henderson, G. Wells, J. Saunderson, S. Woolley and G. ' S. Johnson. Letters and telegrams were received from Messrs J. H. Redwood, Chas. Harris, J. Tosswill, H. Harris, Howard Greensill, and others, explaining their absence and wishing ibe meeting success. CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS. The Chairman read the report and Jbalanee-sheet, which showed the sum of £10 0s lid in credit. He said that the Union had done good work - during the year, and the members had increased to 55; but he thought "this was not enough—the number should be much larger. In his opinion the principal aim of the Union was to increase the material prosperity of the farmers. They all knew the reason why it was better for him not to take office again, and he hoped they would put in a much better man. He thought it would be an improvement if they added to their offices by appointing a president and two vice-presidents, and he would suggest that the Member for the district be asked to be President, and the Hon. C. H. Mills and Capt. Harris to be Vice-Presidents. All three were pioneers of the Sounds, and had the welfare of the Sounds at heart. Of course, this was only a personal suggestion; it was for them to decide. He would also suggest that Mr J. H. Redwood be made Chairman. With good officers and more members more could be done. The alteration in the Sounds since he knew it first 39 years ago was astounding, and the men who had produced all this out of the wilderness must have had a lot of knowledge knocked into them, and they should attend the meetings and share this knowledge. However good the officers were, the success of the Union depended on themselves; let each one determine that he would get onff more member, and that he would attend the meetings and share any "wrinkle" he lad learnt about grass or sheep or cattle with others; they would then find at the end of the year that they i liad mad© most out of their land and probably saved a lot of useless expenditure. The balance-sheet was adopted. PRESIDENT AND VICEPRESIDENTS. It wa<i proposed by Mr J. H. Black that Mr John Duncan, M.P., be appointed President. Mr Duncan asked the mover to -withdraw his motion. He thought it better that he should not hold office. He was a member; he wished the Union success, and he would do all in his power to enable it to carry out its objects, and it would be better for the Union itself for him to have a free hand.

It was then proposed by Mr Anderson, seconded by Mr H. C. Christian, and carried, that the Hon. C. H. Mills be asked to accept the office of President for the ensuing year. Messrs J. H. Redwood and A. D. "WHson were appointed Vice-Presi-dents. CHAIRMAN. It was proposed by Mr Black, and seconded by Mr H. Christian, that a ljearty vote of thanks be given to Mr Erskine for his services during the past year, and that he be re-elected Chairman. ' Mr Erskine said that he had, already stated that he did not wish to act again, and had given his reasons. Mr Anderson proposed as an amendment that Mi*, BJjack be elected Chairman. The stim^jjaent lapsed for want of a seconajsjS*. Messrs Duncan, Black, Christian, % and others urged singly that Mr Erskine be requested to. alter his decision, and that it was the unanimous opinion that at the present time lie should remain as Chairman in the interests of the Union. Mr Erskine then accepted the office. OTHER OFFICERS. Mr Black was appointed ViceChairman, and Mr Saunderson Secretary and Treasurer. A vote of thanks was accorded to Mr A. Simpson for his services to the Union as Secretary. The following were elected on the Committee: Messrs Aikman, Anderson, C. Black, H. Christian, J. Henderson, M. Greensill, D. Foote, G. McNabb, J. D. Foote and S. Hibbert. 'It was decided to hold the meetings at Mahau and Homewood alternately, as hitherto. j

ADVANCES AND INSURANCE

A letter jvas read from the head office enclosing a circular which had been issued by the Government Insurance Department, and asking the branch to pass a resolution condemning the same.

On the circular being read it was | thought that it did not much exceed the tactics of other offices to get business, and that a less drastic J resolution woiild meet the case. On the motion of Mr Johnson, the J following resolution was passed: '•That this meeting considers that all mortgagors to the Advances to Sett- i lers' Department should be allowed to choose their own insurance office if such office is a sound one." ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES. The motion of which Mr Greensill had given notice was then read, viz., "That this branch of the Farmers' Union petition the Government to transfer the eastern side of the Pelorus Sound into the Wairau electorate, or the whole of the Pelorua Sound if desirable." The Chairman said that before the motion was discussed he would ask the mover to withdraw it, because it was quite impossible for the Government to do it, and therefore useless to ask them. Mr Duncan endorsed this view, and the mover withdrew his motion, the following being passed instead: "That the meeting protests against the eastern side of the Pelorus Sound being included in the Nelson electorate, as they have nothing in common." MAINTENANCE WORK. The Chairman drew the attention of the meeting to Mr H. Sharpe's letter to Mr Duncan, in which he stated that the Minister for Public Works had instructed him to do no more maintenance in the .Sounds. He (the Chairman) considered that as the Government had by Act taken over the management of the Sounds they could not drop the work in an incomplete state at a moment's notice; in <»ny case, they should wait till they

had altered the Act or till the new Local Government Bill as promised by the Prime Minister was brought in.

j It was proposed by Mr Anderson, and seconded by Mr Macdonald, "That, owing to the action of the Government in refusing to maintain the tracks in the Sounds, this meeting request tho Minister for Public Works to reconsider his decision for the following reasons: —In the first E1 laoe, the policy of the Government as been to take all the "thirds" and "fourths" accruing in the Sounds and make and maintain the tracks with the money. That source of income is getting exhausted, and we consider it manifestly unfair for the Government to refuse to continue the work no\v that money is done. We are quite in accord with Mr Duncan's letter to the Minister, a3 we consider that it puts the case for the settlers veryj clearly and fairly." An amendment was proposed by Mr Black, and seconded by. Mr Wells, as follows:—"That the Government be requested to continue the maintenance of the tracks in the Sounds till they bring in the Local Government Bill as promised by the Prime Minister." After a long discussion, in which nearly the whole of those present expressed their opinions, the amend- | ment was carried, only the mover of ! the motion voting against it. | ISOLATED SETTLERS. . The question of the isolation of several parts of the Sounds was considered, and on the motion of the representatives of Endeavor Inlet the following resolution was passed: — "That the Department be asked to duplicate the telephone line in the Sounds where required to give communication with isolated districts." The meeting then terminated.