NEW ZEALAND FARMERS' UNION.

Northern Advocate, 3 May 1919, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND FARMERS' UNION.

MANGAPAI BRANCH

An ordinary meeting of the Mangapai branch was held on April 26. Present: Mr P. Carter (in the chair) and Messrs B. Hayward, L. J. Crane, Ceo. McCullough, J. Graham, P. Gillingham, W. McAllister and B. Mundell. The increased subscription to 30s was again discussed and the chairman explained th e financial position. The branch unanimously supported the establishment of an agricultural college at Ruakura. The matter of the amalgamation of the various farmers' co-operative concerns was left for consideration at a larger and more representative meeting. It was moved by G. McCullough, seconded by W. McAllister and carried unanimously, that the secretary be paid £2 as an acknowledgment of his services during th e past year.

At the close of the ordinary meet- . ing the annual meeting was held, j Before calling on the secretary for : his annual report the president and 1 delegate of the branch gave a brief , vesume of the work for the past year j by the Whangarei Provincial Executive. "They had had a successful I year, in spite of a heavy handicap, i They wer c new to their work and the influenza scourge and the financial disabilities had hindered them. The raising of the subscription was a thorny subject. In spite of all. they had done good work. He especially singled out the work of their subprovincial president. Mr Jounneaux, whose sterling services had saved the North from being singled out and j gazetted as a tick area," t \ The secretary then read the first] annual report and balance-sheet, which was approved and adopted. The members present renewed thenmembership for the coming year, and on the proposition of Mr Crane, seconded by Mr Hayward, it was decided to defer the election of officers to an adjourned meeting. The annr»a! *opyii'\> was as follows: —"The first branch meeting was held on 27th' March, and' therefore we have been in existence a little overone year. We have held eight meetings. There are "17 financial members. The average attendance was 10, it is estimated we have about 36' eligible members in the district, of which th e branch contains about 50 per cent. The question may be asked, What has the Mangapai branch done? (1) It contributed £15 5s to the King Country Fire Disaster fund; (2 lit has helped considerably in pushing on public works in the district; (3) it has succeeded, in adding a third mail a to out postal service; (.4) it was of service in securing the grant of £3000 for. the Oakleigh-Otaika road; (5) it has helped a returned soldier settb.vv u> get a hearing fronj the authorities; (6) Mr W. Thompson's remit re the settlement of Northern gum lands has been accepted by the Provincial Executive, and will b e disc.ussud at the forthcoming farmers parliament; (7) it has succeeded in having two of its members appointed Justices of the Peace; (8) last, but not least, it I is only right to mention our indebted- ! ness io our chairman and delegate, I Mr Philip Carter, who has done such I i;ood work at th e Sub-Provincial Exej cutive meetings at Whangarei. His , regular attendance and hi;? in our interest;, nad that "'of farmers '. gcufivally. has been most satisfactory. !in 'conclusion, we think that this ■ branch, although on c of the smallest i numerically of any in the district, I has justified its existence, and has no ! reason to be ashamed of its first ! year's work. The financial statement i submitted shows that ;>n 'iVUU't-h 31st j th P branctt tot ii credit balance of £1 14s bd.''