THE FARMERS’ UNION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 194, 16 July 1935, Page 8

THE FARMERS’ UNION

NEW PROVINCIAL GROUPS. MR POLSON’S PLAN. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, July 16. Tho New Zealand Farmers’ Union conference opened this morning, Mr W. J. Poison (president) presiding. Owing to a prior engagement, the Gov-ernor-General (Lord Galway) was unable to. open the proceedings, which commenced, as usual, with prayer. The conference will continue till Friday. Mr Poison submitted a report of the proposals prepared by him lor the reorganisation of the branches and the New Zealand Union generally. Also before the conference were recommendations from the organisation committee, which had considered Mr Poison’s proposals. The first point made by Mr Poison was that headquarters should be strengthened by the appointment of a specially qualified and well-paid officer having business, insurance and accountancy training, and organising ability. The head office would then proceed to initiate reorganisation work and such activities as farm accounting, mutual fire insurance, and trading facilities. Mr Poison also emphasised the value of the Young Tanners’ Clubs sponsored by the union. Any such scheme, he baid, could only be established with the consent and goodwill of the provinces, and must do no. violence to their methods, but rather be a plan ot gradual growth and the result of a mutual understanding and desire to help the union as a whole. NEW PKUVIiNCFS. He suggested hist a reduction in the number of provinces to ten, with a minimum or 12UU members per province.. He suggested mat tne provinces should Ue as follows: first, (southland; second, Otago and North Otago; third, tno tnreo canterburys and \V estland; lourtli,. Marioorougn, I'Ciorus, Nelson and Golden Hay ; Una,’ YVuirarapa and lUaitara-Tlutt valley,’ sixth, rUanawatu, Wanganui, (southern nawlte s Hay and W eiiington; seven Hi, Northern nawke's Hay and Poverty Hay; eighth, Taranaki, North and ooutn; nmtii and tenth, Auckland. , . in uiese provinces he proposed that area officers should bo appointed, controlled by the head office, but directed by tne provinces concerned. ,ylr Poison said he had made the plan permissive rather than mandatory. To-day they were asked to give service or let someone else do it. They could not stand still. The organisation committee wcommended that, lor the management of the union, there should be the following governing bodies: —-Dominion executive, provincial executives, subprovincial executives, and branch committees. The adoption of the piesident’s scheme of grouping provinces was recommended, the respective groups to be entitled to elect a delegate to the Dominion executive. Other recommendations were a Dominion conference to be held annually and to consist of the provincial presidents ex-officio and delegates appointed by the provincial conferences, which shall be entitled to send one delegate for every 500 financial members or part thereof. The following officers shall be elected for the ensuing year: —President, two vice-presidents (one representing each Island), and also an auditor or auditors. At its first meeting after each Dominion conference the executive slntll appoint from its members an emergency committee to meet when required. The whole of the morning was taken up in debating various aspects of the reorganisation proposals. It was resolved unanimously that the platform of the union and the organisation generally be completely reorganised.