FARMERS' UNION

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 58, 7 February 1925, Page 5

FARMERS' UNION

EXECUTIVE MEETING. RAILWAY CROSSING DANGER. The executive of the Manawatu provincial district of the New Zealand Farmers' Union met to-day, thero being ' present: Messrs 0. P. Lynch (Paraparaumu) president in the chair; J. A. McLeavey, B. G. Gower, D. Reid, J. Balsillie, A. G. Dear. F. Maule, L. H. Atkin, W. H. Becher and H. Bond. The chairman said that, despite earlier protests from tho union, some engine drivers of trains failed to so.ind the whistle some time before reaching crossings. Only recently ho had witnessed an example of neglect in this respect near Paekakariki. Near that station waa what was probably as dangerous a crossing as any in tho v. jrld and in euch places the utmost care should bo taken to warn road travellers. Perhaps some signal of approaching trains could be worked from tho signal box. Recently, at Paekakariki, a lad on a motor cycle had ridden right into a train. Mr Maule suggested that men should be stationed at tho more dangerous orosaings. The chairman: It would be too expensive. He added that the regulation ordering that whistles should be blown within 100 yards of a crossing was not enough. Warning should, he .thought, be given from a further distance than that. Eleqtrio bells were not always effective. Thero was one at Paraparaumu but it rang at all hours. The meeting discussed the matter at length, among the suggestions made being one that further notices should be erected at crossings. The chairman mentioned that he had seen engines pass by at night without the headlight burning. The secretary (Mr Budden) commented that perhaps, as the railway line was a permanent way, it was not deemed imperative to always have a headlight. To thus the chairman replied that the public was entitled to every warning of the approach of a train. . Finally, it waa decided on tho motion ot Mr Atkin, seconded by Mr McLeavoy, that the attention of the Minister of Railways be drawn to tho fact that enginedrivers were still disregarding the regulation concerning tho sounding of the whistle when approaching crossings. .ORGANISING AND FINANCE. Acting upon a communication from tho Dominion body, the executive decided to ask branches to purge their rolls of unfinancial members. Touching upon organisation work, Mr Balsillie expressed the opinion that organisers did little good. His opinion was that organisation work should bo done as far as possible by the secretary. Dealing with a further letter from union headquarters about a suggested increase in members' subscriptions to the Dominion body from 7s 6d to 10s per capita, the chairman said: The Dominion executive, like, ourselves, is living from hand to mouth and cannot carry on on the old subscription of 7s 6d per member, and it has been decided to increase it to 10s. I don't think that that will be permanent, because we have got rid of an annual charge of £SOO, and the only thing now eating into the funds is the cost of organising work. However, the Dominion president and a number of others think that the organising work should be increased. Our own experience has been that organising work is a very costly business. Mr Lynch proceeded to quote figures in support of this contention. The meeting discussed various aspects of the question, including organisation and collection of 'subscriptions by the seoretary. In connection with orders for subscriptions given on dairy companies, it was mentioned that *hose concerns were beginning to object to the procedure. Mr Atkins moved that the Dominion executive's suggestion that tho order system bo adopted be referred to local branches for their consideration. Tho chairman said that, if thoy were to give an extra 2/6 to tho Dominion executive per member, they would have to increase their local subscriptions. Mr Atkin: The members who pay £1 a year now will not stick at an extra ss. Mr Gower pointed out that tho workers paid a shilling a week to their union and said tnat surely the farmers could do as much. | It was d'jeided to refer to local brandies, ias suggested by Mr Atkin, tho Dominion body's proposal that the order system be adopted. ' Discussing tho financial question the chairman naid that, on the present scale of subscriptions, there was not enough to pay members of tho executive their bare travelling expenses. "We can't carry on the way we are doing. People will bo leaving us every day, ' he added. Mr Atkin suggested that members subscriptions be increased to 30s per annum in order to meet the position. "Wo are just whore we were this time last year. Wo have made no progress, said Mr Lynch. ■ , "We old 'fogies' will have to got out ot it" said Mr Balsillie amidst laughter. It was decided to leave the question of tho amount of tho subscription in obey"as" a measure of economy Mr Gower gave notice of motion that the executive rolinqulsh its present meeting room and accept another arrangement. INTER-PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE. Arrangements for the next inter-pro-vincial conference were touched upon and it was decided that the. secretary confer with other union secretaries in the maUcr of fixing a date and arranging an agenda piper ®'Last year's *&s»:»**, or the conference was on awful jumble, commented the president. , It was diceded to ask branches to send in their returns as soon after March 31 as possible. GENERAL. Accounts totalling £36 5s were passed for payment.