FARMERS’ UNION

Southland Times, Issue 20665, 22 April 1929, Page 4

FARMERS’ UNION

SOUTHLAND EXECUTIVE.

MONTHLY MEETING.

The monthly meeting of the .Southland Executive of the Farmers’ Union was held on Saturday when there was a very heavy order paper, but owing to protracted discussions on matters in committee and another meeting in the afternoon, only a small proportion of the business was dealt with. There were present: Messrs D. Dickie (president, j u the chair), R. Arnott, 0. E. Niederer, A. Orr, E. Bowmar, A. McKenzie, W, B. Hopcroft, T. Hanning, W. Couser, H. Sim, H. Blackmore, J. Evans, G. Calder, T. McCann, A. H. McLean, W. Anderson, W. T. Peterson, D. J. Heenan, F. Walker, G. Mackay, J. H. McLeod, L. Woodfield, F. Linscott, T. McLean, J. MeIlwrick, W. H. Ward, J. C. Patterson, A. S. McNaught, W. J. Martin, H. Smith, E. K. Sim, J. Drysdale, T. Major and A. R. Johnston. Attention was drawn to the prevalence of club root in swede and turnip crops, and it was decided to request the Department of Agriculture to keep the matter under review. Information concerning the regulations affecting cattle tick was received from Mr Mackley, inspector of stock at Invercargill. It was decided to communicate with the Department requesting that in view of the fact that the tick had spread to the SouthIsland special officers should be appointed to investigate methods for restricting its spread. WOMEN’S DIVISION. . MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Invercargill branch of the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union was held on Saturday, Mrs 0. E. Niederer presiding over an attendance of 46 members. The president extended a welcome to the new secretary, Miss McKenzie, and said she hoped that all the members would assist her in every way possible. Mrs Niederer reported concerning the deputation which had waited on the Prime Minister in reference to daylight saving and another which approached the Minister of Education regarding a dental clinic. Mrs Russell reported that a deputation had waited on Miss Birss with a request that she should again offer her services on the Hospital Board. The proposed poultry demonstration was discussed, but no definite arrangements were arrived at.

It was decided to hold the annual meeting on Friday, May 17. It was reported that a lecture on hygiene had been arranged for that afternoon.

It was decided to approach Mr A. E. Featherstone with a view to his delivering an address on the League of Nations at some future date. . THE GORE BRANCH. ANNUAL MEETING. At the annual meeting of the Gore branch of the Farmers’ Union on Saturday the chairman, Mr H. E. Bacon, presided over a small attendance of members.. Annual Report. The twelfth annual report of the branch stated: — “We regret to have to record the death of one member, the late Mr T. Pryde, and we regret that one member found it necessary to resign through illness. The roll number is now 79 —nine more than last year. The branch collected 31 subscriptions and the Dominion Executive 55 under the order scheme which was introduced in Southland last year. Twelve subscriptions are unpaid. In regard to payment of subscriptions and general interest, this has probably been our best year. The balance-sheet shows a credit of £4 2/1. The liabilities are £4 2/6 (levies, advertising and rent), so that there is a debit of sd. We arc certainly in a much better financial position than we were last year, but our position is much the same as that of the Rangiora branch which resigned last week. We also have only 5/- in the pound to ourselves on most of the subscriptions, and on six subscriptions we received only 4/- each in capitation. It may be as well to mention that a member has paid the postages, amounting to £1 6/-, during the past two years. Notwithstanding our small income we had to pay 1/- per member levy, £3 12/- , as our share of the cost of the Canterbury farmers’ excursion. We collected from 48 members £2 8/-, leaving the balance, £2 4/-, to come out of our funds. We would suggest that in future expenses unconnected with the running of the branch be subscribed by a few of the members. The Southland Executive assisted us this year by paying a share, £2 2/-, of the rent of the room.”

In moving the adoption of the annual report, and balance-sheet, the chairman stated that he was extremely disappointed at the small attendance of members. During the. past year the branch had taken part in any matters vitally affecting the interests of farmers and, he believed, bad accomplished useful work. In regard to organization he, together with Messrs D. Dickie and D. Gilchrist, had been unable to get around among the members as much as they would have liked, but it was encouraging to find that the membership showed an increase over the previous year. The financial position of the branch had also improved. The prevalence of chibroot was causing a great deal of concern among farmers and the branch had taken up this problem earnestly with a view to discovering means of combating it. An interesting day had been spent at the Gore Experimental Area, when Mr R. B. Tennant, agricultural instructor for Otago and Southland, had delivered an interesting address and had explained the experiments being conducted by the Department in regard to this disease. One other matter in which he thought the branch should interest itself was the dairying industry, which owing to the reduction in the standard of the Dominion’s dairy products, was not in a very*satisfactory condition. At one time New Zealand’s dairy products could command a price about on a par with that obtained by Canada, but during the past year or so there had been a big disparity to the disadvantage of New Zealand. This was a serious matter and one requiring urgent attention.

The motion was seconded by Mr J. Wylie and carried. Election of Officers.

The. following office-bearers were elected: Chairman, Mr H. E. Bacon; vice-chairmen, Messrs J. A. Johnston and J. Wylie; Executive Committee, Messrs E. Bowmar, F. Smith; D. Dickie, R. J. Johnston, A. F. Henderson; secretary, Mr D. Gilchrist; honorary auditor, Mr Hugh Smith; delegate to Eastern District Sub-executive, Mr H. E. Bacon; delegate to Provincial Conference, Mr J. A. Johnston.

A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the chairmane and secretary for their services during the past year. Monthly Meeting.

At the monthly meeting of the branch held in the afternoon Mr H. E. Bacon presided over a large attendance of members. A verv interesting paper on the subject of club-root was read by Mr D. Gilchrist, who has made a very close study of the Mr Gilchrist was accorded a very hearty vote of thanks for his paper, which will be published in next Saturday’s farm page. The chairman and Mr D. Dickie were appointed to draw up remits for presentation at the annual provincial conference. The Mayor, Mr D. McDougall, waited upon the branch with a suggestion that the Farmers’ Union should co-operate with the Borough Council in regard to the finding of work for the unemployed. He stated, that frequently men seeking employment waited upon him personally and if they desired work in the country he was at a loss to know how to place them. He suggested that if the secretary of the Provincial Executive could supply the borough with

the names of farmers requiring labour, the two bodies could co-operate to the advantage of both. Mr D. Gilchrist thanked the Mayor for bringing his proposal under the notice of the branch, and stated that unfortunately the rapid changes in the methods of farming and industry had made it difficult to find employment for unskilled labour. The proposal was worthy of consideration and he suggested that the branch should discuss it further at its next meeting. It was decided to consider the matter at the next monthly meeting of the branch.

WENDONSIDE BRANCH. I ANNUAL MEETING. (From Our Correspondent.) At the annual meeting of the Wendonside branch held on Thursday evening Mr A. J. Cameron presided over a fair attendance of members. The annual balance-sheet showed a credit of £9 6/- as compared with £8 1/- at the end of the previous financial year. The chairman gave a brief resume of the activities of the branch during the past year, and the secretary also submitted a report of the remits brought by the branch before the Provincial Conference to which he was the delegate. Both the chairman and secretary were accorded a hearty vote of thanks.

The following office-bearers were elected: —President, Mr A. J. Cameron; vice-presidents, Messrs J. Dennis, R. G. Charters and H. Collins; secretary, Mr J. C. Paterson; auditor, Mr E. A. Cameron; executive, president, vice-presidents, secretary, auditor and Messrs Sutton, Jeffrey and W. Thompson; delegate to Provincial Conference, Mr 11. Collins; delegate to Provincial Executive, Mr J. C. Paterson; delegate Io sub-executive, Mr R. G. Charters. The annual subscription was fixed at £l. The question of agitating for a bridge over the Mataura River, at Cattle Flat was discussed, and it was eventually decided to draw up a petition and circulate it for signatures in the Waikaia and Oreti ridings, the petition to be forwarded on to the Southland County Council. Details in connection with the same were left in the hands of the president and Mr B. Hurley. One new member was elected.