N Z FARMERS UNION

Otago Witness, Issue 2771, 24 April 1907, Page 8

N Z FARMERS UNION

OTAGO

At tl c arirual ti"e'iin4 of the Pyram'c! biarth. hold on the 13th m-l, ihero v<a-i a go'id attendance, Mr AVni. Keid pros"! iu!j. The balance showed a ered t, and Mi Wm. Roid wa-> re-elected chair mail and Mr J. T. Qualror secretary. The .Secretary ipported that e\ery member had paid his subscription promptly, and that he had recencd several subscriptions for the present yeir from members who were unable to attend. The Chairman picmisod to prepare a paper for next meeting aud other contributions were also pro- , mised. |

CANTERBURY.

The ordinary meeting of the Oxford branch was held on the Bth inst , Mr Cooper, chairman of the branch, presiding. Correspondence was received frcrn the head office regarding the Advocate ; from the Railway Department, refusing an exrra. cait-cro=sing at Carlcton sration, and from the coloni.il secretary of the unior, giving a lesurr.c of the conference work. It was unanimously i esolved <o approve th«> action of the executive in a=king M«s?rs Ruthcrfoi<!, L-evris. H.irdy and Witty, members of the Houss of R^prescntames, to take united action in ha\ing the Auctioneer' Act of 1891 amended, co as to enable auctioneers to take out their licenses in any country district where they did busine 1 "-". In regard to a letter from the chairman, rc.-jretting the apparent indifference of some memlers as to paying th^ir subscriptions the &ecretaiy was requested to discuss with the Piovuicial Executive the cos'si.-

bility of enforcing arrears where writteil notice of resignation had not been giverr. The -secretary was instructed to forward the following unanimous resolution as & "remit" to the Provincial Executive: — "That the Land Board be urged to sowt down with good gr»6s or 'cut up' recently! burnt bush throughout the colony, as uT weeds are allowed to take possession, a serious loss is occasioned to the State." The secretary was requested to write to the Railway Department, suggestirg that at shelter should be attached to the Bennetts goods shed, to protect grain, and so forth, in loading. The North Canterbury Executive met ort Wednesday last, Mr D. Jones (president! in the chair. Letters were received* fVora Messrs G. Witty, O. A. C. Hardy and A.. W. Rutherford, members of Parliament?, stating that they would support the branch in its effort to secure an amendment ofc the provisions for licensing auctioneers. — ► The Secretary reported that tho - credit* balance on the general account was mota than £40, and there were more subscriptions to come in. The liabilities were not more than £1. The Chairman referred to the work of the secretary, stating ihat ha had watched the finances very keenly,, anol had placed the executive in a. very sound) position. He moved that a bonus of £1(1 should be granted to Mr Hikon. Carried, unanimously. — A summary of the work of* the Colonial Executive in vts efforts -to carry into effect the resolutions of the last year's conference was placed on the table. The summary stated that the executive Mas. directed to continue the agitation for the gift of the option of tho freehold to Crown. tenants. In carrying out tho instruction* the executive made an appeal for funds,, receiving a good response. The funds wer« to assist the union in impressing on tha people of the colony the necessity for tho desired provision in any Land "Sill that could be brought before Parliament. — The committee appointed to arrange the campaign against the Land Bill reported that it proposed to arrange meetings throughout the district. It recommended that an. advance agent should be employed to advertise meetings, and that certain advertising should bo undertaken. The report was considered, and a programme of meetings was agreed to. Mr Clothier asked* whether any steps would be taken to supervise the matter of the addresses to be given. Mr Leadley said that there seemedt to be some difference of opinion as to the position of the union on the land question. Mr M'Nab had agreed to accept the graduated land tax in glace of his proposed limitation, but neither Mr Massey nor Mr Herrios had been authorised to accept the graduated tax on behalf of the farmers. He wa« satisfied that the farmers, as a whole, would not accept thcr graduated tax m preference to the T/anct< Bill. He thought, however, that there was no need to discuss -the question o£ speeches, for the platform of the union! was definite enough. The Chairman said? that there would be no iced to go outside the union's platform. It was explicit enough, on the land question, and should; be a sufficient guide to speakers. The meeting then closed.

OTAGO EXECUTIVE.

A meeting of the Otago Executive of tha New Zealand Farmers' Union was hf*ld en the 16th in tie offices of Messrs Pram, Mitchell, ard Co., Water street. The Minister of Railways wrot-c, re passes

lor men in charge of cattle going- to agricultural shows, stating that excursion tickets {were issued to such men a week before feeing issued to the public, and that to drovers in charge of three trucks or more free paeses were allowed to men and dogs, 'and no further concefsion could be given at present. ' The ' Minister further wrote that instructions had been issued to remove barbed .Trire on railway fences. Ro the request of the union that Government veterinary surgeons be allowed to attend in special cases where farmers' cattle were affected, the Minister of Agriculture Buggeeted that farmers should combine and ■get a veterinary surgeon, as had been done an Wairarapa, Ashburton, aiid other districts.

In connection with the question of running a train from Middlemarch to Burneide on .Wednesdays, the Secretary refjorted having waited on the traffic manager of railways, who 6tated that it was impracticable to run such a train under present conditions. The Secretary reported that members >rere taking advantage of accident insurance to a large extent, but that the Accident Assurance Association was doing its best to prevent the union getting the benefit of the concession- arranged. A copy of the agreement was laid on the table.

THE LAND BILL CAMPAIGX.

Mr Boddie foj-warded a report dealing Trith the meetings held at various centres in connection with the proposed Land Bill, and" expressed regret that oviine; to illhealth he had been .unable to arrange meetings, in Hampden and Oamaru. — On the motion of Mr Buckland, saeonded by Mr Pindlay, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Boddie for his work, and it ■was further resolved that a letter be sent to tho Colonial Executive expressing appreciation of Mr Boddie's services. Tho Secretary of the Clinton Branch ■wrote stating that the branch protested against the duty being taken off wheat and flour, as it was contrary to the union's platform.—The matter was remitted to the annual conference.