NEW ZEALAND FARMERS’ UNION.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XII, Issue 2371, 30 May 1906, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND FARMERS’ UNION.

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.

Prior to the commencement of the business on the order paper the president Mr. J. G. Wilson welcomed the delegates to Pahiatua. It was a great pleasure to come into a new district, especially Pahiatua, where, when the Farmers’ Union was first initiated, it was severely rated, but notlnvithstandiug that fact, the Union had survived, and they were present I for the purpose of holding their an- | nual provincial conference. fsince the last conference the Farmers’ l nion had made great strides; it had increased in numbers and bad done good work generally. A Farmers' .Mutual Insurance Society bad been formed under considerable difficulty, and whether it should remain a Wellington Alutual Insurance Society or a North Island one was a matter that would have to be decided. The union would have to say whether it was goI ing to have one each tor the North j and South islands, or one tor the whole colony. The union had done very good work in pushing along rural education, and some good results hid emanated from some of the schools w here rural subjects had been taught. In connection with rural education the union had had a good friend in Air. Gray, a school mastes at Wanganui, who had taken great interest in that branch of education. .Mr. Gray had recently visited America and Canada, and had made enquiries with regard to rural education in the various places he had visited during his tour, and had given the union the benefit of his experience, which had proved of great value to the country and farmers generally. That gentleman had shown a keen interest in the endeavours of the union m promoting rural education, and as the result ol the activity displayed by him in the matter, lie bad ticen appointed headmaster of the Agricultural Training College in Wellington. In Auckland the people had also been working in connection with the same i latter and bad appointed a gentleman from Canada to the position of principal of their agricultural college. Air. Wilson attributed both appointments to the efforts of the Farmers ('nion. Those gentlemen were appointed for the purpose of holding classes and assisting teachers in imparting rural or agricultural knowledge. Apart from that they had to impress upon the children that tanning was a great profession, and that it was invaluable as tar as the welfare of the colony was concerned. The farmers contributed last year about £8,000,000 to the revenue of the colony. He admitted that the mining industry was a large contributor to the public wealth of the colony, but, said Mr. Wilson it was not reproductive and farming was. Alining in the Auckland and Otago districts, especially in the hitter, was doing a great deal ot injury to farmers, through refuse from the mines getting into the rivers, and in times of ’ floods that ref use was washed on to the farmers land, and considerably injured the soil for agricultural purposes. .Mr. Wilson said that country life was the highest form of existence, anti it was their duty to influence the young people in that direction. Although he did not intend going into the question ot tree trade he could nut help saving that there were a number of industries in the colony that were not as valuable as people thought they were, and were Kept up by the imposition of protective duties, which had to be borne hv the farmers and the consimers generally. Mr. Wilson said another g<x>d thing done by the union was the establishing oi i Farmers’ Union journal, it was Icit that a paper run by the l nion was needed before a great deal ol good could be accomplish'd. They had the tanners' organ, and it was the duty ot every member of tie f nion to support it, independently ot their local papers. It had been suggested that the Union should establish an accident insurance company tiieinselves. but he did not think it would l>e wise to do so, at least not tor the present. At the last colonial conference the opinion was expressed that the ( nion should take a more active part in politics. They had taken a very active part in politics horn a farmers standpoint, but he hoped they would never eWer into party polities, anti become the party hacks of any political party. The Cnion was a dolensive organisation, and it was its duty to safeguard the interests ol the tanners, and they must he prepared to fight at any time. In considering any political qin- lion they must la* guided entire-

ly by principle. In conclusion Air. Wilson congi at ulated the conterenci

on tla- wonderful prosperity th't I nion and the country onjoveo. The price of wool was higher at the pic ant time than it had been lor L scars, hilt they could not expect H to i cmain at such a very high price. Air. Wil on thanked the delegates lor the I. i ii< 1 n<■ they had shown hint during his term ot office, and asked them to relieve hint from the position this sear, and resumed liis seat amid haul and prolonged applause.