FARMERS’ UNION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 147, 21 May 1930, Page 7

FARMERS’ UNION.

CONFERENCE AT WHANGAREI. Per Press Association. WHANGAREI, May 20. The annual conference of the Auckland Provincial Farmers’ Union commenced to-day, ninety delegates attending. The president, in his annual report, dealt with a variety of topics. Speaking of unemployment, he said that the ■only cure was reduced costs. In the meantime a palliative would be the organising of bodies of men to break in land in readiness for settlement. Dealing with reduced prices for primary products, he said it was evident that it was impossible for New Zealand to regulate London prices, but it should be possible to cut out some of the costs of marketing and some of the speculators’ profits. Some thirty remits w r ere dealt with during the dav. It was urged that compensation should be paid for improving leaseholds, and it was decided that the present methods of land valuation should be replaced by a system uniform to all Government departments. The question of noxious weeds was discussed at much length, and it -was resolved that the Crown should be put ■on the same footing as private landowners. This evening Mr W. J. Poison, Dominion president, addressed the conference on the lines of his southern .speeches, urging a readjustment of taxation, removing from it the necessities of life and placing it on luxuries, also increasing the taxes on the totalisator and hotel takings.