THE FARMERS UNION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 14 September 1909, Page 1

THE FARMERS UNION.

THE PBOVIJfCiAL, EXECtiTft^:..: (From, OurVQwg Correspondent.) • ' A- meeting ofyihe Nelson :; Provincial Executive of the Farmers' Union wo held at Richmond on Wednesday last. " MemtefsjDresent.were Messrs i! .Tun-'-." : ■nichffe/ (President). N.vA. McLarei, (vice-pYesident), C. Drogemnller/J. W. Bensemann, tf~.Tb.orn, J; Corder, B. H. Turner, J. Sageh; C. J .RnffeU, and the secretary, W. 8.. HarkneasV Apologies The meeting was caile'd 'for xoa • f t-r- - ; pose of receiving ihe.reporf of "the dele-' gate (Mr Haricn&s) to ~the "^Dominion ~ :i Conference, which- was as follows; That all the. remits from. Nelson had "been aci- ; ■" cepted by tl» -Coaf erence^^aiia; nfJU^bo^sent forward to the Government for consideration. • They were (l);Thafc the Goi- : vernment be tasked to- discontinue 'the •."• practice of appointing 'valuers who are ■ rate collectors; on a percentage " basis ; \2\ that a standard size .of caSes be' adopted- " for the different classes of fruit; (3) that a simpler. form of. analysis should be issued by manufacturers of ing the proportions'. of : phosphoric acid; potash salts, and nitrogen ccontainerd r ' therein. .Southland also brought forward a similar remit. The fourth remit was perhaps one of the most important, from a shipper's point of view, viz., that the Government be asked to establish .a system of -booking through of all "p'w- -'""- duce by rail .and' sea. •,'"■■* Mr Haikness. the. delegate, .stated that this matter had -..been taken up by "tho '. Dominion President ,and no doubt would • ; be urged upon the notice of the Govern Iment. . ... . . . . . • _ It was resolved to appoint the President and the', secretary as a. deputation - v " to wait on the Stoke Fruitgrowers' As- ■". sociation with regard to taijing some, further steps to strengthen the hands of the President (Mr Wilson) in his endeavours to bring, about this improved method of shipping. r ; , ■ , ■ - '■...--- In answer to a question,' -the delegate stated that tlie funds of the Dominion ' ' "Executive were found to be very satisfactory, and*'thai the result of the Con- . ~ ference was ' likely to be of some good to' the producers? of> the Dominion. ' Mr Harkness received a'vbte of thahka ■'-•• ' for his reportv" - : ". ' . .■-*..:' The position of the various Fire"Jnsnr., mice Association-was next discussed.' It was shown that each Association, four in ■ number,.,viz., Taranaki, Otago. Welling- ■ ton, and Hawke 3 Bay, given in the or-, der of their' "seniprity, were all -."doing .-_.. sound bitsiness 'since tlein estab.lijhi' . ' ftient some four years ago. . Their losses. .. has been very- light, the highest beirig Otago; with £300 for the whole period. The. amount -insured was £131,000." It was held that thi3 proved thai farm' er^' Tisks- were- wr-ohUblei vThe; Asso-r. ciations had largely increased "their ;toV serve fund, . and shortly would be .in a position to. reduce, the' premiums. : • The President and the secretary were - " authorised to; r draw up a number of cm?; . eulars for distribution among the inem-* ' bers of the; TJnion, in connection with bhe Mutual Fire. lnsurance Association. A lengthy discussion ensiled on. mat . ters connected with the Union in-ihe^ district, in Committee, and ;tho meeting"; adjourned at 4.30. . •< '■''■■•.'