FARMERS’ UNION

Southland Times, Issue 22417, 3 September 1934, Page 4

FARMERS’ UNION

GORE SUB-EXECUTIVE EXPERIMENTAL AREA REINSTATEMENT. A meeting of the Gore sub-executive of the New Zealand Fanners’ Union was held at Gore on Saturday and was attended by Messrs J. A. Johnston (president), R. L. Byars, Henry Smith, D. Dickie, F. Walker, W. G. Mac Kay, A. J. Cameron, A. R. Johnston,, J. Stewart, J. Howden and A. Herron. The secretary (Mr A. L. Adamson) reported that eight branches had subscribed £5 10/- towards the cost of sending the boy Parata to Flock House. Advice was to hand of donations of a further £1 10/-, making a total of £7. The president reported that a deputation had waited on Mr R. B. Tennent, Director of the Fields Division, to urge the reinstatement of the Gore experimental area. Mr Tennent had been favourably impressed by the representations made and suggested that certain organizations might be induced to contribute towards the cost of reopening and operating the farm. Mr Henry Smith stated that Mr Tennent had said that if a certain amount of finance were forthcoming locally there was a distinct possibility of the work being restarted provided sufficient interest was shown. Mr Byars said that the department would be prepared to find a man if a sum of £2OO annually were subscribed. The sum of £lOO annually was already in sight. The department considered that a new site should be found for an experimental area. Mr Walker stated that Mr Tennent had offered the opinion that valuable work could be done on the proposed area in the direction of ascertaining the best time for top-dressing. Mr A. R. Johnston moved a vote of appreciation to the deputation and to Mr Tennent on the satisfactory outcome of the meeting. The motion was carried. The secretary' reported on the negotiations which had been instituted with the Southland County Council concerning the legal costs charged to defaulting ratepayers who were summonsed for arrears of rates. The council had endeavoured to justify its action by stating that had the council’s staff undertaken the work of issuing the summonses it would have been necessary to employ an additional clerk who would have been a charge on the ratepayers as a whole instead of the defaulting ratepayers. The Southland Provincial Executive of the Farmers Union had made representations that defaulting ratepayers should be relieved of legal expenses. The matter had been referred to a committee to report to the executive. ' The levy on wool which would be imposed if the Scientific and Industrial Research (Wool Improvement) Bill at present before Parliament was passed was discussed and after several speakers had expressed their opposition to the measure in its present form it was decided to endorse the resolution of the provincial executive opposing the Bill. , , . , . Mr Smith reported that he had attended the meeting of the Electoral Committee of the Meat Board and the annual meeting of the board at Wellington last week. The meeting had been one of the most important ever held by the committee and the chairman of the board (Mr David Jones) had taken the committee fully into his confidence concerning the negotiations with Great Britain in respect to the proposed imposition of a quota. The board was making strong efforts to have pork exempted from the quota which would amount to five per cent, of the total exports of meat. It was not anticipated that the quota would affect the best quality lamb. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Smith.