FARMERS' ORGANISATIONS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17234, 14 April 1930, Page 11

FARMERS' ORGANISATIONS

"BOTH BODIES ESSENTIAL" SHEEPOWNERS UNION'S AIMS The annual report of the Poverty Bav and Fast Coast Kbcepowncrs' Union, presented to the annual meeting on Saturday afternoon, covered matters dealing with apathy on the part of shecpfarmers in connection with their industrial union, touching also ull the relations betw n the Sheepowners' Federation and the Farmers' Union. The report, read by the vice-presi-dent, Mr. C. 11. Williams, stated:— "The animal meeting is being held somewhat earlier this year as there are important matters affecting the future 0? this bianch that require immediate consideration. My report, therefore, covers only a pod ion of the past 12 months. For convenience 1 have framed the report under three beads—political, industrial and domestic. DOMESTIC "The financial position of our local branch has given your executive cause for much disquiet. It will be noted that we have been obliged to beg for a reduction in our liability to headquarters Our was granted and the sum of £167 was allowed to be written off. But it ecu stitutes a grave reproach to the district that such n necessity should have arisen. The fault lies not with your executive nor with members (excepting those who fail to pay their subscriptions); it lies with those sheepfarmers who decline to bear their cost in the safeguarding of their own interests. Out of a total of over 800 shccpowners in our district only 100 are financial members of the federation. "At no time in the history of the Dominion has if been more necessary to maintain a strong and vigilant organisation to protect our interests.! The country is faced with serious | economic problems and it is essential, < both in our own interests and in the 1 interests of the Dominion, that any suggested solutions of these problems should be scrutinised from all angles. It would be fatal for such an important section of the community as the farmers to hold back from their duty in this respect, yet, if fourfifths of the shccpowners continue to ' leave the trouble and expense of maintaining our organisation to others there is little chance o( maintaining il in a condition of usefulness. \ "It is the opinion of our committee that this state of affairs is largely due to apathy; to a lack of knowledge of the activities of the federation and to a lack of appreciation of the necessity for its existence. It is proposed to carry out a personal canvass during this autumn and winter in tho hope that a full explanation of our aims and objects may lead, to a substantial addition to our membership. In this effort your committee "hopes for and expects the help and co-operation of till members in order that we may wipe out the stigma of having been | obliged to repudiate our obligations j and to obviate a repetition of such a deplorable contingency. "I wish to take this opportunity of correcting a. misapprehension that is commonly held and that is largely responsible" for our weakness in membership. I refer to our relations with the Farmers' Union. M is bv some that there is a oiillict of in-

l,. M . S is heween the two i i"ineis bodies, that the two sloe!! itnai.gauiate and work as one. The fact is that the existence of ooth boon's :s essential. There is no conflict of interests, but each body has its functions and neither can be spared. The ( union does excellent work in all manner, of directions connected with farming, but there is one direction in which'the union cannot operate, and in which it is better for all thai it should not attempt to operate, and that is in the realm of industrial affairs. That is a function of the federation, and the federation has been registered under the Industrial Conciliation and: Arbitration Act, 1025, in order to eii-| able it to perform that function, and to fight the industrial -battles of the whole fanning community. I '.'ln conclusion, 1 might say that there have been numerous minor matters upon which the attention of your .commite<-''has been engaged not of sufficient importance, however, to warrant tailing up the time of this meeting. < The president's thanks and the thanks of members are due to the coinniiltec, who have tlevote,d a considerable amount of time recently to the business of the federation." THE BALANCE SHEET. The statement of receiots and expenditure for year ended December 31, 1929, showed : Receipts: Members' subscriptions, £77 15s; levies, £155 10s; arrears collected, £3B 2s 6d; exchanges and donations, £1 12s; credit balance at December, 31, 1928, £49 12s ,sd. Expenditure: Salary, £100; audit fee, £2 2s; petty cash, £6; advertising, stationery, bank charge, etc., £3 Us 6d ; credit balance as at December 3, 1929, £2ll 18s lid. Tho balance sheet as at December 31, 1929, was shown to be:— Liabilities, Levy 'due to federation, 1928 £lB6 15s lOd, 1929-£IBO ss; total, £367 0s 10d. Assets: Credit balance at bank, £sll 18s lid • subscriptions and levies outstanding, £141! 'deficit, £l4 Is lid; total, £367.05. 10d. ( ELECTION OF OFFICERS! Tho past year's officers were re-elected as follows: President, Mr. E. R. Black; vice-president, Mr. C. 11. Williams; committee, Messrs. V. Barker. K. Barker, J. Barns-Graham, J. C. Graham, C. G. 'Hwldsworth, B. J. Holdsworth, 11. Heg&rty, J... Hutchinson, J. B. Kells, 11. Kenwav, L.. C. H. Maclean, G. M. ! Kevnqlds, F. Sherriff, T. B. Spence, A. C. Steele, M. T. Trafford, A. H.'.Wallis, 11. C. .Williams, K. Monckton, W. G. Shcrratt; auditor, Mr. 11. K. Dodd. Considering the proposal to increase the. membership fees, Mr. Williams said that at present two-thirds of the receipts from members wont to the federation. If they secured more members it might be possible to reduce the membership fee, but they must cbtain more mem hers, or obtain a reduction on what was paid to the federation. If neither was possible.the branch would have to "go oiit of business."

the president. s;iid th.it n proposal was pill. forward at a federation conference that the branches pay half of their collections instead of what was paid under the present conditions. . On the motion of Mr. Kells, the delegates to tjie next annual meeting of the federation were instructed to support this view. Mr.'V. Barker moved that a committee ,hg set 11,p to revise the rales, and .submit proposals to the next general meeting.— The motion was carried, and ;Messrs; Black, C. 11. Williams and .Barker 'were appointed a committee to go'into'the matter. In ■rpspu'd to the 'campaign to increase ’membership, .it- was l decided to organise a campaign,. and to recommend all present members to assist.