FARMERS' UNION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14283, 27 April 1917, Page 4

FARMERS' UNION.

BRANCH FORMKD AT TE KARAKA.

Those members of . the fai-ming community who attended the .meeting ! convened by Mir, Cooper,; provincial.organlisoa', at fe Karaka.laat- night',. 1 weye well .rewarded for 'their trouble. There f Was. ,an excellent attendance, presided over by, .Mr G. H. Humphreys, who ' mtroduced jNLajor Lusk, the U.O'.M. of the "Farm^ais?" "Viiioii, " , arid M v Tailored Cooper, the organiser of the .union m. the: Auckland provhj.ee. , , . , Lusk, 1 whose .ad.dr.e§£ Mas listen--ed to with the closest attention, gave* a clear and concise outline of the work ■carried 1 out by the. ..-union, since! its in'ceptioni 17 years ( ago. 1 ''Amoiigst other .activities the. union liad formed , the lAucklind Parmem' '■'■Trading CW, which ■commenced \yjitih -a, membership of 200. iand how havi ZQty, ihembera, who had 'been srupplied through .its ageivcy all lilieg^. requii"dd at a^ lowei- cost than' rfchey would have had to pay elsewhere, iwhilst the company could show ai profit 'of 73 per osnt. on its paid-up capital, Avhioh was avaliablo for distribution amongst tlie members. Major Lusk re;ferred sti'ongly to the urgent need for organisation m the farming industry, ■which, whilst being the principal business of the country, was the only one unorganised. The .union embraced the wbole. Dominion, but the only district m •which,^ there were- no branched' was Poverty Bay.;. AH others districts were represented 'at the annual conference •held' every July m Wellington.

Mr Cooper then explained m detail .the organisation of the union, : and .RU'ongly:, advocated the formation of branches m every district. Each branch, appoint a : delegate .to represent.it .o}i the sub-provincial executive, Tjliich \TOuld appoint ail organising .secretajy, • v^iosxi ' seryjees - would,- be- at the> .call \of every branch. Mr. Cooper gave, instances of thft need for. ooroperait,ioTr- amongst farmei-s to combat such enemies as the Beef Trust, which was undoubtedly endeavoring to establish itself m the Dominion; • ' ■-. .. /' ' ■-,

; The chairman then lrfVited questions, a i number of which wei-e put to and ansAverod by, the visitoi-s, who fully exr plained. each point. i'Mr N. . Symes proposed .that a branch of the. Farmers? Union ba- formed,, to be .called the Te Karaka branch. This was seconded by : Miv L. R. Tullock, and carried riem oon, all those present .promising their (support. ■ • Tlie following officers were* elected : President Mr H. Telford, proposed by M« F. Pakillo, and; seconded by Mr Symos; hon secretary Mr' N. Symes, l>ro)x>sed ..by Mr ,PattuJlo, and seobndetl by Mr J. J. H. Mareha.ll; delegate to the siib : proyincial . .executive, Mr, C, . H. Bridge, proposed by Mr R. D.' Dymock, ,and seconded by Mir. Marshall ; members of committee, Messrs R.. p. Dymock. L. R Tullock; and H. A. McPhail. * ,Mr Telford then took the' chah v and the fii^t meeting, pf,ihe branch was held. .. •. *.' .; , . :; Mr G. W. HumplM-eys moved aThearty yote of thanks- to, the" visitors-. for. .their, interesting and instructive addresses, iuid referred especially, to their indebtedness .to, Major Lusk, who had gone „to so. much -trouble m their interest at an age .long pastjthat at,. which most, me4>v%v,ei'e content 'to retire fa-om actiVfe 'business.' (Major Lusk and Mr Cooper both replied, and expressed their gratification at[ ithe enthusiasm with which the project placed before the meeting had been taken up.