NEW ZEALAND FARMERS’ UNION.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 29, Issue 41, 29 May 1917, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND FARMERS’ UNION.

PELORUS SOUNDS DISTRICT,

ANNUAL PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE.

The annual conference of the Sound! Provincial District of the New_ Zea land Farmers’ Union was hel4, Library, Havelock, on Saturday. Aboui 25 delegates from the various distriei branches attended. The minutes of the previous annua and special meetings were read anc confirmed. The retiring president (Mr G. Ander aon), in making his annual report, said; “I must first of all congratulate mem bers on the sound position we arc in and in spite of the absence of some oi our younger members at the front we have kept up our membership, and oui contribution to the central executive is higher tfiis year than it has evei been before. However, our ideal should be to enlist the active support of every farmer in the district —the larger out jnembership the greater our influence for the good of the whole farming community. As arranged at the last conference, your executive has met every quarter, and the meetings have been well attended and fully representative. Three most important matters have occupied our attention during the past year, the first one being the fd per lb tax on butter fat—a most unjust, iniquitous, and morally illegal tax, in that it is a class tax pure and simple. It is levied upon one of the hardestworked classes in the country, the majority of whom are small struggling farmers, with the sole object of giving cheap butter to the town dweller, rich and poor alike. Your executive protested strongly to the Government, and also brought the matter before both our local members of Parliament with a view to having the tax repealed as soon as the House meets. This conference will be asked to vote on a motion to that effect. As your president, I was invited to attend the Wool Conference in Wellington last November. I went over fully prepared to protest against the commandeering of our wool, but altered my opinion upon hearing the Minister of Agriculture’s explanation of the Imperial Government’s reasons for that action, and I consider the wool-growers of this Dominion were very liberally treated by the Imperial authorities. The last matter that occupied the attention of this executive was an invitation from the National Efficiency Board to meet the Commissioner for the northern portion of this Island in Blenheim. After a full debate we passed two resolutions to be submitted to the Commissioner, and your executive were thanked for the very helpful and commonsense suggestions contained in the same. And I take- it as a great compliment to the members of the Farmers' Union in this district that we were asked by the Commissioner to be the convening body for the Sounds portion of the district, and have duly elected our committee of advice and trustees. I wish to state hero that quite apart from its value during the war, I consider the National Efficiency Board, if it develops as it promises to, will bo an immense factor for good to the farming community of this Dominion in the near future, and will bo especially helpful in developing cooporotion in its best and voidest meaning throughout the whole of the farming industry. Dealing with some of its more immediate aspects, I think the present position with regard to exemptions is both cumbersome and unsatisfactory. The Military Board only applies to the Commissioner when in tfoubt. He then applies to his local committee of advice for full particulars, the whole procedure involving delay, whereas if all appeals had to be endorsed by the Commissioner, who would supply the local committees with the names of appellants as soon as the lists were gazetted, and who could report at once to the Commissioner, and the cases of real hardship would have favourable consideration as against the man with an easy conscience and a good case on paper. Every case of undeserved exemption means hardship for some more deserving case. My own view is that now we are rapidly approaching the most crucial point in this terrible war, that men and more men are the first consideration. We farmers as a class should not ask for exemption except in cases of undoubted hardship or necessity, and plenty of such cases will arise when the Second Division is called upon. We must remember that if by a big effort and •making sacrifices new we can shorten the war, we will in the end save immense numbers of valuable lives and millions of money. After all we are all of one mind: that the first and only consideration is to win and win as early as possible. lam afraid the shipping problem will be very serious long before the end of this year, and I think the whole of the farmers of this Dominion should at once take effective action to protect their interests by seeing that more cool storage is provided at once, and as the prosperity of this country depends entirely upon its produce, especially its perishable produce, every citizen Of this Dominion is vitally interested, and it is undoubtedly the duty of the Government to at once take effective steps to meet the danger. In conclusion, I wish to thank my fellow members of the executive and the officials for their very loyal support during the past year. ’* The balance-sheet showed a credit balance (including £l2 17s 6d from last year) of £l6 17s Id, which was considered very satisfactory. The report and balance-sheet were adopted as read. The secretary expressed his thanks to members of the executive, who at various times during the year placed their launches at his disposal.

The election of officers resulted ns follows:-—President, Mr G. Anderson; vice-president, Mr J. Fulton; secretary and treasurer, Mr J. H. Saunderson; auditor, Mr R. D. Fell; executive: Messrs J. C. M. Grecnsill, J. Miller, F. C. Fell, E. F. Hcaly, M. P. Henderson, G. F. McMahon, G. S. Johnson, J. Kennington, D. Higgins, 0. Leov, J, Hobberd, D. Haswell, C. P. Harris, and G. R. Stratford. REMITS. . The following'remits from the various sub-branches, after a very full and interesting discussion, were passed, and will be forwarded in due course to the Dominion Conference: — Minimum Wage and Profit-sharing.—

Believing that the future of the Empire is dependent on the friendly cooperation of Capital and Labour, this Union urges the holding of a conference between the various unions connected with the farming industry to consider the adoption of a minimum living wage and a system of profitsharing as applied to the land. R. D. Fell, Sounds. Cold Storage.—That in view of the serious effects of submarining on the carrying capacity of the world’s shipping, and that New Zealand, being so far away from the war centre, may in the near future have its shipping facilities very materially reduced, the Government be urged to take steps at once to largely increase the cold storage capacity of the Dominion. —F. C. Fell, Sounds, Stubble Quail.—That the Farmers’ Union oppose the introduction of stubble quail.—J. Elliott, Canvastown. Timber Royalties.—That this Union is strongly of opinion that the Minister of Lands should so amend the Land Act to enable the local bodies to receive half royalties on timbers which have been weighted and charged to successful applicants. —J. Fulton, Linkwater.

Land Purchase.’—That this Union is of opinion that it be a strong recommendation to the Minister of Lands that before completing the purchase of any lands, either for returned soldiers or lands for setlement, that the local Land Board, in whose district such purchase is contemplated, be referred to for their opinion.—J. Fulton, Linkwater.

Accrued “Thirds.”—That this Union considers it is only fair and just that whenever any lands are disposed of, either for cash or otherwise, the usual accrued “thirds” (as on a leased section), should be allotted to the local Road Board or County Council, and that the Minister of Lands be urged to see that such is given effect to. —J. Fulton, Linkwater. Roads. —That the Government bo urged to finance the upkeep of all arterial roads, the work to be carried out by local bodies under a Government engineer.—C. F. Hart, Canvastown Branch.

The following motions were also passed:— “That this conference again protests against the butter-fat tax, it being wrong in principle and a hardship to struggling dairy farmers, and considers that any restriction of price should be borne by the Consolidated Fund, or that the Government should deal with the matter in the same way as meat and wool, and that a refund of moneys paid be made by the Government.”—J. H. Saunderson, Sounds Branch. “That the member for the district be asked for a return showing how much of the money derived from the butter-fat tax was repaid to the butter factories and what was paid to the butter merchants. ”—v,T. Miller, Canvastown Branch.

“That no exemption be made to men on the land or any other essential industry unless it can be shown to the satisfaction of the Advisory Committee of the district that the man appealing cannot be replaced.” NOXIOUS WEEDS. Mr H. Smith, representing the Agricultural Department, waited upon the conference re the noxious weeds question. He gave some advice on the best means of coping with foxglove in districts such as the Sounds, where labour for the work was almost unprocurable. He recommended the-planting, under certain conditions, of danthonia and tussock to counteract the spread of foxglove, etc. Rreferring to the blackberry blight at Port Underwood, he said he had much pleasure in saying that it was likely to prove very effective in this district, as the climate, or something else that at present we don't understand, seems to favour it here. Mr Ward said his experience was that a hundred acres of tussock would run less sheep than 100 acres of foxglove. After some further discussion, Mr Smith stated that the reason why he had put the matter before them was to enlist their co-operation against the noxious weeds menace, as without their aid ho was helpless to do any good. Mr F. C. Fell moved: That this conference is in favour of the Noxious Weeds Act being enforced in the district, but urges that the inspectors use reasonable discretion in enforcing some of its provisions.—Carried. A vote of thanks was passed to Mr Smith for_ the information ho had given. MISCELLANEOUS. The secretary was voted an honorarium of £5 in recognition of his onerous work during the past year. A letter was read from the Post and Telegraph Department, Wellington, in reply to a request from the Eai Valley Branch for improved post office facilities at Flat Creek. The reply stated that while the country was in the present state of war, post office buildings are being erected only in cases where urgently required.—After some discussion it was decided that the matter be again brought under the notice of the Department by the delegates attending the Dominion Conference.

Mr Healy moved: That this meeting support the Flaxbourne Settlers’ Association’s resolution for a deputation to wait on the local manager of the N.Z. Refrigerating Company in Picton with regard to the necessity of further cool storage accommodation being provided at Picton works for the ensuing year.—Carried.

Mr McMahon moved: That all requests by members of the Expeditionary Force for remission of rent or postponement of rent, under section 23 of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1915, or section 13 of the War Regulations Act, 1916, shall be dealt with by the local Land Boards as hitherto.—Carried.

Mr Healy moved: That as some reflection was cast on the Farmers ’ Union at the public meeting in Havelock on the previous evening, that any reply to any remarks affecting the Farmers * Union be left in the hands of the chairman and secretary to deal with. Mr Storey, in thanking the chairman for the kind invitation to attend the meeting, congratulated the delegates on the keen interest taken in the various remits brought before them and the full manner in which they had been discussed.

In closing the conference, the chairman said one of the* privileges of the Farmers’ Union was to bring the far-

mers together for free discussion on matters of mutual benefit. It helped them to pull shoulder to shoulder in matters affecting them all. He was convinced that the branch system was the right way to run the Farmers’ Union. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to the chairman for the very able manner in which he had conducted the proceedings.