PROVINCIAL STATUS DESIRED.

Northern Advocate, 25 July 1923, Page 6

PROVINCIAL STATUS DESIRED.

FARMERS' UNION RESOLUTION.

ANOTHEK ORGANISER ENGAGED

One of the most protracted of several lengthy debates at the meeting of the Whangarci sub provincial executive of the Farmers' Union yesterday arose when a report of a was submitted suggesting j-ju, executive take steps to have five district affected constituted Northern provincial area.

It was also proposed to ask the Provincial Executive to remit ss. per member paid, to it for propaganda purposes so .-that it could be dxsvoted towards <• engaging an organiser in the W'j&ngarei district.

In connection with the latter item, Mr D. T. Wood, when moving that the report be adopted, said that it had been found that some districts had not paid tho levy, and ia effect the subprovincial executive had been *' carrying them." Organisation was essential, net only as a means of going out and roping in members, but in the general interests of t}ic Union.

! The committee considered that the organiser should be paid <a salary wad i not on commission. Mr Ching had addressed the committee snd he appeared to be the right man lor the position. It seemed that it would be well to secure his services at a salary of £4 a week, or a basis, it transpired subsequently, that he could also carry other agencics. Mr Storrar inoveu as an amendment that the committee be thanked for its report. Mr G. 8. B. Morrison asked that the committee should produce the evidence it had had on the report. After a great deal of arguiifcnt relative to tho best way to proceed it was decided en Mr Whimp's mo'tion to deal seriatim with the recommendations contained in the report. Speaking in favour of establishment of the Northern Provincial Executive, Mr MacKcnzic said that all who were at the conference in Auckland recognised that the sub-provincial executives had not all got the same status. At this stage the matter was further considered at length in committee.' Subsequently Mr E. B. Haycock pointed out' that Auckland was the largest province in New Zealand and yet in Canterbury there were three provincial executives. He could not see any reason why letters sent direct to Wellington should not carry equal weight with those from Auckland. He referred to the new farmers' organisation, tho Dairymen's Union, which he declared had made more progress in three years than the Farmers' Union had in 20 ycars. Sub-provincial districts were out of date. Some had failed, and he ridicule 1 the contention that organising in "such districts could be done from the provincial office. In Whangarei the attendance of delegates was dwindling, and he declared that a province sticking strictly to geographical boundaries was out of question as a basis for justification of thai status.

The president, Mr F. McDonald, said that he had heard no sound reason for breaking, away from Auckland, which would make for disintegration. The financial aspect of the matter had to be considered. He did not think the proposed Northern provincial executive, woull carry more weight in Wellington if its communications wont direct, instead of through Auckland. Moreover, any change made would not evade existing liabilities to the Auckland Provincial Executive... As for Kaipara and the Northern Wairoa, they were simply in the position of not having paid their contributions, but Whangarei had not been charged more on that account. He admitted that the financial position was disappointing, but hp did not favour breaking away from the .Provincial Executive.

Mr Morrison also opposed severance .fr ; om the Auckland Provincial Office and failed to sec how it would benefit Whangarei. It had been said that some of the Northern views in the past did not coincide with those in Auckland. If they d:ci not then they would not coincide with Wellington district. The Maungatapere branch ■ had been in favour of remaining connected with Auckland. A matter that must not be overlooked was that some branches, as they hj.d done before, might secede from the Whangarei executive and (leal dire;r with Auckland in the event of Whangarei becoming a provincial executive.

Personally Mr Thomson, though uninstructed by Mangapai branch, was strongly opposed to breaking away from Auckland, where he claimed that the Whangarei district had good representation on tho senior body.

Messrs Morrison, Main, Felix and tho president voted against the motion, which was carried, to seek the change in status, Messrs Storrar and Thomson refraining from voting.

The nex;t matter dealt with in the report was the recommendation to the oxccutivc that an organiser be engaged, and that the sum of 5/ per member lor propaganda purposes formerly paid to the Auckland Provincial Executive be utilised towards the cost of paying for his services.

Mr Haycock quoted figures relative to membership and the allocation of revenue. If branches would agree to continue to remit at the existing rate, the revenue would bo £225 per annum, and against that the salaries of organiser and secretary would be £190, leaving a credit balance of £35" for travelling expenses and incidentals.

He felt that delegates would net allow the expenses to hamper the work, for, with 450 members, it was imperative that the executive should go on with organising. If it did not, then the Union would go bask to the position it had been in on occasions in the past. It was felt that it was better to have a man organising on salary and not a commission, while it was also advisable that the system of going round year by year to collect .".0/ subscriptions be done away with. Mr Wood considered that the figures submitted by Mr Haycock solved the difficulties, as a rebate of 2/(5, lot alone 5/, from Auckland would more than cover ,the office expenses. Even without help from that source the Union could put an organiser on for the rest of the year, and he felt that if the organiser' appointed made the progress expected daring that period the Union would be able to carry on with the same one. He felt that more would be got through a salaried organiser than

on the commission basis. Mr Ching had had experience, had been successful, and had offered his "Services, at a very low rate, and the speaker urged that he should be engaged without delay.

This suggestion wa< endorsed by Mr McCardle, who felt that unless an organiser were put on the branch might as well shut up shop. It Wias explained that Mr Ching's Hrst objective would be tho work ef vhe Union, but he would also carry agencics. Mr Storrar argued that experience of organisers in olhcr districts had been synonymous v.-'th low. At sonic length in committee he dealt with the mat tor, and as-.ked that delegates weigh the evidence very carefully before •■"(itiiig on the subject. He v.ias quite mi favour of n sell cm o whereby organisation was paid by results.' Tlue matter was thoroughly thrashed out, tho president" and Mr Morrison speaking against the idea of undertaking the expenditure. Air Wood, as mover, claimed tint results in the Bay of islands were due to fcuo large a salary having been paid to the organiser. Although the membership there .had not been much increased numerically, the organiser had colleeied a good deal of money in fees, and lie urged ivhat a deplorable state the fi.iv of Islands would have been in had they not engaged him. They

would obviously have (dipped back a good deal further. . The motion to appoint Mr Ching as organiser was then put and carried, the president, and Mes.srs-Fqlix, Storrar, Morrison and Thomson voting ttgain;:t it., ■ . • , ; .