OPIKI.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 127, 30 April 1937, Page 12

OPIKI.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) OPIKI, April 28. A meeting of the committee of tho gardening circle was held at Mrs Larsen s house on Wednesday last. Mrs Wilde was in the chair, and those present were Mesdames Aitchison, Bond, Cooksley, Irwin, Jackson, and Larsen. Mrs Aitchison was elected secretary and treasurer. Mrs W'ilde thanked members for her election as leader of the circle, and before commencing expressed the hope that she wouid be able ti> carry on the good work so ably begun by Mrs Irwin, who as leader of tho circle since its foundation two years ago had done much good “spade work” and laid the foundations of a very successful circle. It was decided to ask all members of the circle to contribute 6d as an annual subscription for the ensuing year, and it is proposed to have a stall at tho monthly meeting of the Women’s Institute each month, members being asked to bring flowers, plants, or garden produce to bo sold at the stall, the proceeds to go towards the purchase of plants to be distributed among the members o£_ the circle. Alcsdamcs Aichison and Cooksley will. be in charge of the stall at tho May meeting. It is also proposed to have a monthly competition each month for mcmbeis of the gardening circle with points each month for the winners, and a points prize at the end of the year. The competition for May is for tho best chrysanthemum bloom and/or the best collection of berries. Mesdames Irvine and Jackson have been elected stewards of these competitions for the year and Mesdames Bond and Larsen the judges. It is proposed to have a flower show of bulbs and spring flowers in September, details of which will bo announced later. A dance and eucliro in order to raise funds for this is to bo held during the winter. . , 0 ~ ■ At tho annual meeting of the Upnu branch of tho New Zealand l’armeirs Union tho report presented by the chairman (Mr B. A. Norman) stated inter alia:—Events in the fanning world and the general tread of world price levels for primary products scorn to point definitely to an emerging front one of the severest depressions tho world lias known. While the present prices for tvool,_ if maintained somewhere about this year s leve.s, mean security-even prosperity-for the sheep farmer, the price of butter h as remained sluggish, and m spite of the guaranteed price which lias had the c feet of subsidising the industry to the ektent of about £2,000,000, the da i farmer still finds that he is unable to regain the costs of producing and manufacturing bis product. The only feasible scheme yet put forward to enablo the dairy farmer to receive lor Ins product what it has cost to produce, plus ail economic margin of profit, is the compensated price as explained by Colonel Closey and endorsed by the Dominion executive ot the Farmers’ Union. However, the Government is out to make its guaranteed price scheme a success if it possibly can, and a rise in the price paid for butteifat for next season is almost a certainty. The success, or otherwise, of Hon. \> • Nash’s mision will have results of far reaching importance to the dairy farmer of tills country. With better times at hand for the farmers and all those connected with the primary industries, it seems to me wise to sound a note of warning and caution. When the colossal re-armament programmes of the great nations of the earth are complete, and the fear of immediato war is averted for a time, what is there in our financial system " to check another disastrous slump setting in, bringing with it an inevitable world war and complete chaos to victor as well as to vanquished ? To completely recast tho financial system in a way which would make it universally acceptable to all nations, big or small, rich and poor, and thus automatically sweep away all trado barriers between nations would bo a great stride forward to universal peace and prosperity. Our greatest need to day is world peace, without peace the prospect of our families and of ourselves in our old ago is a gloomy one. The committee of the local branch has functioned very well and the fact that it lias met. overy second month and dealt with business of interest to the farmers promptly, and in tho best interests of tho members of the union, seems to mo to have amply justified this movo and recommended it for continuance. Addresses from speakers have perhaps been too few, but this matter is entirely in tho hands of members themselves. The strength of the branch lias increased from 30 to 48, and out of that number we are fortunate' if wo get 15 to 18 at a meeting to hear an expert in his own particular lino, who has been asked to come to Opiki. The branch lias again tried for a revision of the Stock

Act in regard to the basis of compensation paid for condemned stock, but so far we have not been able to make much headway ; but at the first suitable opportunity the" branch should renew its endeavours in this matter. The branch supported compulsory unionism among the farmers. A sub-committee was set up to report, on an emigration scheme within the Empire, the outline of which was submitted for the consideration of farmers. Another subcommittee was set up to go into the matter of the abolition of tho toll on the bridge, and a report from this sub-com-mittee of its meeting with the Horowhenua County Council is awaited. In conclusion I would urge all members to take a more active interest in the doings of their own union.