The Rangitikei Advocate TWO EDITIONS DAILY. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1918. WOOLGROWERS AND SURPLUS PROFITS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLII, Issue 11632, 6 September 1918, Page 4

The Rangitikei Advocate TWO EDITIONS DAILY. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1918. WOOLGROWERS AND SURPLUS PROFITS.

THE annual meeting of the Canter bury Union was held on 16th inst. Mr W. W. Mcßae, president, being in the chair. Amongst other business the Conference discussed the proposal made by Mr E. Newman, M.P., and the feeling was that the committee had no authority to deal with profits, which, were other people’s property, as the wool profits, if they acrrued, belonged to individuals, and the committee could not deal with them. The committee approved of the general idea formulated by Mr Newman. It is evident that the North Canterbury Farmers’ Union do not represient the opinion of many of the woolgrowers in that district on this question, when it a resolution lately in favour'of leaving the matter of provision for sailors dependents to.the shipowners, or in fact to anybody but themselves. The resolution of the Canterbury woolmen was practically that while they approved of Mr Newman’s scheme they considered that each farmer must agree to his individual share iu the profits being allotted to this purpose. This is part of the proposal as submitted by Mr Newman.

Apparently, however, tae proposal is now practical ! y assured of success. After Mr Newman Had originated it, and given it the initiatory impulse he could do little more for its success. It needed organisation and a no inconsiderable amount of management and these are now supplied. Nearly every branch of the Farmers’ Union has passed a resolution in favour of the proposal, but the success depends upon individual and not upon sectional agreements. We are pleased to hear therefore that offers have been received from influential quarters to run the movement. One gentleman in Wellington has kindly offered his services [ns secretary, and will send a circular to every wool grower in the Dominion asking whether he is prepared to forgo any snrplns}profit which his wool may bring iu[the open [market for the purpose suggested by Mr Newman. Even’ circnlar[will have a counterfoil to which the wool will only need to sign hi s name and post the counterfoil back to A committee is to be constituted, of which one Minister will probably be a member, and the committee will be legally constituted and incorporated. When a contributor consents to the proposal his name Twill be ’sect to his wool broker and on receipt of the surplus from England it will be banded

by the broker to the committee and devoted to the fund for the dependents of sailors who have lost their lives or been disabled in pursuance of their duty.