FARMERS’ UNION

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 124, 23 April 1927, Page 4

FARMERS’ UNION

FEILDING BRANCH. * ANNUAL MEETING. - (Special to “Standard.”) V’. FEILDING, April 23. The annual meeting of the Feilding branch of'the New Zealand Farmers’ Union was held yesterday, Mr W. L. Grice presiding. Also present were Messrs D. L. Younger, J. B. Bradley, J. McFarland, A. Kidd, 0. McElroy, A. Campbell, W. H. Brouter, J. H. Perrett, K. Carman, F. Martin and A. Duthie. Prior tq commencing the business, the chairman moved that the branch expresses its sympathy in the death of the late Hon. D. H. Guthrie and that a letter of condolence be forwarded to Mrs Guthrie and family. The mo-, tion was carried, all present staining. The annual report (already published in the “Standard”) was adopted on! the motion of the chairman.

The question of the finances qf the branch was discussed at length,. many members expressing themselves as dissatisfied with the order, system of payment of membership fees. The chairman stated that, under the new arrangements, whereby 15s went to the Dominion executive and 5s to the branch, the latter’s funds were in danger of becoming too low for efficient working. Mr Campbell said that he was in favour of the order system because the: most good for ,the union was done at headquarters which could not work without proper funds. Several members asked that the levy from the Dominion branch .be increased, but the secretary of the provincial executive:; who was present, said he hoped that the branch would not press for. increased payments from headquarters as they had just got their finances in order and were on a sound financial footing with a good-reserve fund. The matter was eventually held over for future discussion. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The election of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows:—Chairman, Mr W.. L. Gripe (re-elected); vice-chairman, Mr D. L. Younger (reelected) ; committee, Messrs J; H. Perfett, K. Carman, J. McFarland, A. Kidd, H. J. Booth, W. H. Brewster, A. Lawson, J. Jensen, A. Campbell, B. N. Sandilands, - W. McLennan, W. Gray, C. Lucas, J. Bradley, J. H. Mason, A. Duthie, 0. McElroy, with power to add; delegates to provincial conference, Messrs Younger,. Sandilands,Mason; auditor, Mr H. M. Hare.

REMITS. Mr J. H. Perrett moved that a remit be forwarded to the provincial conference asking that the rules of the union be altered to allow representatives of business houses to become members. Referring to the recent request for a protective tariff against the importation of timber, Mr McElroy said that the Government tax of 2s per hundred feet did not sufficiently meet the case. Mr Perrett said that Rule 13 of the articles of association of the union laid down that taxation through the Customs should be for the purpose of raising revenue and not far protective purposes. After a discussion on the question the chairman moved, as a remit to the conference, that Rule i 3 of the Farmers 1 Union platform 1 be 'more strictly adhered to and supported by the union. '

In regard to the proposed Australian embargo on New Zealand bacon and pork, Mr J. H. Perrett moved the following remit: That this union do its utmost to assist the Dairy Farmers’ Union in stressing the seriousness of the proposed tax on bacon and butter by the Australian Government. FARMERS’ TRAIN. Mr Pringle, commercial representative of the Railway Department, who was present, gave a brief outline of the proposal of the department to run a farmers’ excursion train throughout the district. The Scheme was inaugurated last year with considerable success, he said, and it was intended to enlarge it this year.