FARMERS’ UNION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 57, 21 October 1911, Page 2

FARMERS’ UNION.

TARANAKI PROVENCIAL EXECUTIVE. The usual monthly meeting of the Taranaki Provincial Executive N.Z. Farmers’ Union was held at Hawera on Thursday. Present: Messrs J. WJones (president) R. Lambic, U . Rogers, E. Marfell, J. Swindlehurst, W.” Cleaver, R. Dunn, J. Thomson, A. Voullaire, and J. Davidson. Correspondence. Messrs Jennings, Okey, Pearce, and Dive, M.P.’s, wrote re the Seeds Sale Control Bill, stating that the recommendations of the executive, that the Bill he considered by a conference of A. and P. Associations, seed merchants and representatives of the farming community before it is proceeded with further, would receive their careful attention. Auctioneers’ Commission. In reply to .the .'executive’s request that commission on dairy stock should bo the same as on dry stock (when sold in sale yards) Messrs Newton King, Young, Hobbs and Co., and Gillies and Nalder wrote stating that they could not agree to the request for the reasons that ddjry stock had to lie sold singly and the financing of dairy stock was more risky. It was much more profitable to sell dry stock at 3) per cent than dairy stock at 5 per cent.—Letters received. Prize Essays. A number of letters were received from provincial executives and branches ordering supplies of the prize essays pamphlet. The Wellington executive sent the following resolution: “That the best thanks of this executive be forwarded to the Taranaki Executive' for promoting the prize essays competition, and we fully appreciate the efforts made in this direction to enlighten the farmers as to what the Union has done.” The executive expressed its satisfaction with the ipanner the essays were being received. Branchs. The Kaponga branch forwarded special donation of £2 to the executive’s fund and ordinary levies were received from that branch; also from Riverlea branch. Resolved that Kaponga branch be thanked for its special donation. The Opunake branch forwarded resolutions on the remits that were sent back from the Dominion Conference expressing .general approval of them. The remits dealt with cowtesting, manorial experiments, combines, and the Farmers’ Political Protection Federation. Resignation. Mr W. Swadling wrote resigning his seat on the executive .owing to the meetings clashing with his duties as a member of the New Plymouth Harbour Board.—Resolved that the resignation be accepted with regret and that Mr J, Crowley be asked to fill the vacancy. , Agricultural Education. Mr Brown, director of technical instruction, • waited on the executive and asked its assistance in establishing classes in. practical agricultural. It was his intention to start classes in shearing, wool-clasSing, bee-keep-ing, etc. Mr Brown stated that the Dominion Executive of the Union had donated £2O towards classes of this kind for this district. In reply to questions Mr Brown said that the assistance he needed most was the providing of shearing sheds and shearing, machines and sheep for shearing, and fleeces for wool-classing. The intention was to start in Hawera and when they got their” staff' together to extend their operations in oilier parts of the district. He thought 17 a suitable age for youths to start in practical work of this kind, although there, was no fixed age. In Palmerston and Christchurch , woolclassing and shearing classes ha I beer, very successful. it was resolved that the president, Mr A. Hunter, Mr J. Davidson, and the secretary lie a committee to assist tlie Director of Technical Instruction in the formation of those classes. Agricultural Scholarships. The Board of Education (Wanganui) wrote stating that it had agreed to appropriate four of its senior scholarships to encourage various forms of practical work in district high schools and it asked the executive, in conjunction with other public bodies of a similar nature in this district, to provide a scholarship of the annual value of £lO to enable one pupil in each of the three districts, North, Central, and’South, to continue his secondary course for a period of at least two years. Mr Lambie thought the proposal should receive their hearty co-opera-tion, and if the funds of the executive would not allow of subscribing he thought members should, subscribe individually. He was prepared to subscribe £1 and would guarantee another £l. . Mr Jones concurred and said ho would subscribe £l. 1 It was resolved that the members individually guarantee the sum of £5 towards a scholarship. Candidates’ Replies to Questions. Replies to questions sent out by the executive to candidates for Parliament wdre received from the candidates for Patch and Egmont, and it was resolved to publish the questions and answers of those candidates and other candidates as they come to hand. The Union and Political Party. Attention waA drawn to a' letter published in the Hawera “Star” and written by Mr G. P, Wake, also to statements made by Mr P. O’Dea from the platform to the effect that the branches of the Union were electioneering committees for- Opposition candidates. Members expressed themselves very strongly about incorrect statements ol tin’s kind going forth, and the following resolution was unanimously carried: “That this executive is surprised at the incorrect statements made b%' Mr G. P. Wake in the Hawera “Star” (September 19th) and by Mr P. O’Dea from the public platform, that branches of the Farmers’ Union were election committees for Opposition candidates, and desires to give the statements an emphatic denial; also to warn electors against misleading statements of this kind, and to remember that the Union is non-party in politics.”