FARMERS’ UNION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 6, 16 December 1911, Page 4

FARMERS’ UNION.

TARANAKI PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE.

The ordinary monthly meeting of Taranaki provincial executive, N.Z. Karmns’ union was hold at Ilawora on Thursday. Present: Messrs J. W. .Jones (president), R. Lambic, S. Forsyth, J. Thomson, J. Swindlehurst, ami R. Dunn. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs A. Voullaire, J. Davidson, and W. Rogers.

Immigration

The provincial secretary, North Canterbury district, forwarded copy of a circular addressed to him by Mr Edward Kennedy, secretary ot the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Labourers’ I uion, in which reference was made to various schemes in connection with agricultural labour and containing the following paragraph : “Taranaki branch of the Farmers’ Union. The executive agreed with the proposal of the Government in re scheme of emigration of lads for farm work. The only wages offered were 2s 6d per week for the first year and 10s for the second. The letter from the North Canterbury provincial secretary asked how many boys and men had been brought out and the wages generally paid, and wore the lads compelled to work for several years at one place ? This matter was very important, as it was to bo one of the arguments used at the Arbitration Court in favour of an award. Any other information that would combat the statements made by Mr Kennedy would be much appreciated.

The secretary stated that ho had replied as follows : “The statement in the letter (a reprint of which you enclose) of the secretary of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Labourers’ Union about the Taranaki Executive having a scheme for immigation is not quite correct. The executive lias, however, during' the last three years, passed two resolutions re schemes for immigration. Here is a copy of each resolution :—Dealing with the scheme of the Central (unemployed) Body for London the executive on March 18th, 1909, resolved, That the Dominion Executive be informed that there is a good demand in Taranaki for farmlabourers and domestic servants at good wages. On May 18th of this year the following resolution was carried, vis.;—That the Government be asked to encourage some scheme, such as Mr Sedgwick’s, whereby suitable youths could be helped to come from Great Britain to New Zealand as farm servants, it having been shown that the farming industry has been greatly hampered by the dearth of suitable labour. I may add that there were several applications from Taranaki for boys brought out by Mr Sedgwick, but none of the boys were available.” Mr Jones moved, That the action of the secretary in replying to the letter of the North Canterbury executive be approved. In speaking to the motion, Mr Jones said that as a union they had always boon against cheap labour. The agricultural labourer had received a fair proportion, and in some cases more than a fair proportion, of the fruits of the farm. Because they had given their approval to a reasonable scheme of immigration they could not surely be blamed for unduly harassing or unfairly treating men. Mr Dunn said that Mr Jones might add there was plenty of work to be done! in Taranaki if . they' had the labour to do it. ■ ! Mr Lam hie said there was one point that the labour unions. seemed to overlook:. That was, that, there was plenty of surplus labour in the ‘Old Country and there was a dearth of farm labour here. If young men in the Old Country were willing and anxi- • ouS for work and could not find it in the Old Land and desired to come hero it seemed to him a most inhuman spirit on the part of labour unions to try to prevent them coming here to earn a living. i: lf we were not to get labour from the Home Land where they wore over populated where are we to get it from? He did not know what they were coming to if a few.agitators were to prevent men who were willing to work from coming to share the blessings of this fair land.' He did not know how to stigmatise such action. The motion was carried. Lsnc! and Estate Agency. It was resolved to start a laud and estate agency and that the name of like agency be “The Taranaki Farmers’ Land and Estate Agency, and that it be opened forthwith. It was also resolved that Mr J. B. Sim be chief agent. The matter of appointing a directorate and the matter of bonds were held over till next meeting. A _ resolution of sympathy with Mr Davidson in his illness and hope for ais speedy recovery was unanimously passed.