FARMERS’ UNION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17870, 29 August 1932, Page 10

FARMERS’ UNION

WAIROA BRANCH (Herald. Correspondent.) Mr. G. D. Tod presided over a moderate attendance of members of* the Wairoa branch of the Farmers’ Union. Correspondence was read from the Railways Board in reference to a question which had been before the meeting on several occasions, that of granting the usual concession on stock from Wairoa conveyed iby rail to the Hawke’s Bay freezing works, the department denying that the action was arbitrary in respect to stock travelled other than by rail or boat; jt was only a matter of business in the interests of the railways, and could not be considered hard. The concession on stock from and to the port would be again conceded. The head office of the union wrote on the same subject, and a discussion arose over the difficulty of arranging lamb shipments owing to the variable state of the bar, and insuffi-

cient space at times when the drafts proved either too small or too big, and lambs suffered through being taken back to the holdings. Mr Lambert -said it was not Wairoa’s fault that rho Wajroa stock did not go 'by rail. He thought something should be dona to back up Mr W. K. Barnard, M.P., in his efforts "to have this remedied Ha moved: “That this meeting of the Wairoa branch of the Farmers’ Union is heartily in accord with the suggestion of Mr Barnard, M.P., that the Railways Board be urged to hand back to the 'Public Works Department the Xnpier-Mobakn section of the East Coast railway, so that it may be re conditioned while unemployed labor i•.ivailftble.” Dir Peebles seconded ;lie motion, which found general sup port, it being'pointed out by the chairman'that it only needed the laying of a few miles of rails from Putorino to the viaduct to enable through carriage to Napier, ■ with 'the exception of the break at the viaduct, and the farmers ■oiiM keep a reliable man there to transfer stock. Mr Lambert said he was sure the department was keen to ■see this done, especially as the line from Wairoa to the viaduct was in good order and being used. The motion was'carried unanimously. The chairman said lie did not think lie small farm plan was very appli cable to Wairoa, seeing that in most ureas of the county there were groups of natives residing contiguous to the farms, and also unemployed, so that a man settled on a 10-acre plot would not be any better off as regards work than now. Mr Peebles considered that 10 acres was far too small an area from which a man could make a living; it should be 20 or 30. Other members considered the cost would be too ,great when the buildings and fences were, taken into account. ! The head office of the union advised, on the authority of the Department of Agriculture, that the carriage of lime on the railways was at the option and convenience of the department, and it might decline transport under certain conditions. The secretary stated that he had written to the department in respect to the free conveyance of lime from the Tehaenui quarry, but tho replv had not vet come to hand. ft* was decided to inform the head office that the branch was not in favor of the ban being lifted on ‘the importation of stock from Europe. _ Mr Harrison asked the chairman it it was true that the 321 pci cent. ic bate on rates would not be available this year; if tho County Council had struck its rates-in the hope that this money would be available; and it £500,600 had been taken from the highways funds for the Consolidated Fund,? The chairman said he was afraid the 324 per cent, had gone, and that £250,000 of the highways money had .been taken, but he could not reply about the rates. . ' . The secretary was instructed that when replying to the Railways Board recarding concessions asked tor m trie railage of stock front Wairoa, to stronglv point out. that it was not through any fault of Wairoa that the farmers did not rail their stock.