The Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. THURSDAY MAY 31, 1906. THE FARMERS' UNION CONFERENCE.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XII, Issue 2372, 31 May 1906, Page 4

The Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. THURSDAY MAY 31, 1906. THE FARMERS' UNION CONFERENCE.

The deliberations of the delegates to the above conference were concluded last night, and the representatives of the various branches are worthy of congratulation on the excellent work done. In thanking the’ delegates for their attendance .and in referring to the success that had attended the efforts of the Pahiatua committee, in attending to the wants of the visiting branch representatives, the president said that the work of the conference would excite considerable interest among members of branches in this district. We trust this will be so, as we have repeatedly urged farmers to take an active interest in the various branches of the union, especially in this electorate, so that the welfare of farmers, individually and collectively, may he safeguarded. ‘‘United we stand, divided we fall” is a motto the principle of which the farmers should always keep in view. The decision ot the Union in favour of granting the freehold to Crown tenants, under certain specified conditions. was the most important of the many matters brought before the conference, and we opine that it will exercise due weight with the Minister of Lands in connection with his proposed Land Bill. He recognises that “the Union has come to stay,” even if the Premier pays little heed to the decisions of Farmers’ Union Conferences. Mr Seddon will have to face the land tenure question next session : lie has dodged it quite long enough, and tlie demand of the Crown tenants can no longer be ignored. The principle has been affirmed hy Crown tenants at Pongaroa. where there is a larger aggregation of Crown tenants than is to he found in any other part of the co!my. and it must eventually he embodied in the statute law of the colony. Wo are disappointed that the conference did not deal with the vexed ipust ion of an experimental dairy school, in view of the sir.lly-shnilying of the Government on this matter, which is of vast importance to those engaged in one of the colony’s most important industries. The Union delegates are to ho congratulated on the excellent tone of the d sotission- that took place during the two days’ convention, and Mr W ilson is entitled to praise for the able manner in which he discharged •he duties of the presidential chair. He is the light mull in the right place, and under his able guidance* niav the Wellington provincial and colonial conferences continue to do good work in the interests of “the backbone’’ of the colonv