FARMERS’ UNION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 5 December 1940, Page 10

FARMERS’ UNION

MEETING OF TAKAKA BRANCH FURTHER CRITICISM OF SMALL FARMS AMENDMENT STOCK DRIVE FOR PATRIOTIC FUNDS At the monthly meeting of the , | Takaka branch of the Farmers’ Union j held in the old Masonic Hall on Mon- : clay evening, the president (Mr B. J. j Woods) occupied the chair and there ■ were also present Messrs P. V. Langford, H. Petterson, L. G. Bruning, L. Newport, A. Barlow, G. Scott, P. R. Reilly and K. W. Baird (secretary). An apology for absence was received from Mr J. W. Page. CHIEF ORGANISER’S VISIT The secretary reported that the chief organiser for the Dominion (Mr A. G. Dawson) had spent the past fortnight in Golden Bay, du ing which time he had carried out a very successful tour of the whole of the provincial district. His membership drive had produced highly satisfactory results. Very few farmers had refused to join the union and over the whole area an increased membership of ~5 had been secured, so that the visit had been more than justified. SMALL FARMS MEASURE Correspondence from headquarters included a circular relating to the Farmers’ Union’s attitude to the Small Farms Amendment Bill, which led to sharp comment by several of the members present . The secretary said that now the measure, in spite of strong opposition to it, had been passed by the House, it was difficult to see what further steps could be taken, though he was convinced that they had not heard the last of it and that there was trouble ahead. It seemed to him that the Goverment had pursued a very unwise policy in pushing through a Bill to bring about such far-reaching land tenure reforms at a time when it was essential that opposition should not be aroused among the farming community if they were to maintain production at the highest possible level. Mr Petterson: “The Bill has been passed. Are the farmers going to sit down and take it?” The secretary: “Well, the Manawatu farmers threatened to march to Parliament in dungarees if the measure were passed, and from what I know of them, I think they’ll do it. However, exactly what will happen is, of course, in the lap of the gods.” There being no proposition before the meeting, the discussion lapsed. STOCK DRIVE IN CONNECTION WITH GALA The organising secretary (Mr J. P. Cottier) and deputy-chairman (Mr C. P. Reilly) of the committee recently set up to organise the combined gala to be held on Saturday, 22nd February, as a district patriotic effort, waited on ; the meeting in connection with the i part the union would take in the running of the function. One of the suggestions put forward. Mr Cottier said, was that a stock drive should be organised and it was in this connection that the co-operation and assistance of the Farmers’ Union in getting donations of stock •> as sought. It was proposed to raffle some of the stock and sell the remainder by auction. Mr Reilly said it was proposed to make the effort an “all-in” patriotic gala and the central committee wanted every organisation in the district to help. Stock drives had been run with considerable success elsewhere and there seemed to be no reason why similar success could not be achieved in Takaka. He asked members to give the proposal their favourable consideration. In expressing the union’s willingness to co-operate, the chairman said that, as a member of the gala committee, he had more or less committed the union to assist and he appealed to the members present to get behind the scheme and assist in every way possible to make it a success. After a discussion on various aspects of the proposed drive, more particularly disposal of the stock, it was resolved, on the motion of Messrs Reilly and Newport, that the chairman suggest at the next meeting of the gala committee that the majority of the stock be disposed of through the cull stock dealers and only a few selected animals be put up for auction at the saleyards.