FARMERS' UNION

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIII, Issue 23, 24 May 1912, Page 5

FARMERS' UNION

taßXnaki provincial conference. (Per Press Association.) u < Hawera, May 23. The annual Taranaki provincial conference of the Farmers' Union took place I 'at Hawera; to-day. Mr. R. CamDie presided In his opening address ;he referred to the loss the executive had sustained by the removal from, the district of Mr. "J. W. Jones, the president; The meagre way in which the union was supported had left it ishorc of funds, hue he hoped that in the future it would be better supportfid. The return of four freehold mem- , bers to the House was gratifying to the union, and it was a good deal due to the efforts of the union that the /freehold was where it was now. He 'hoped it would not be long before an .■agricultural college in Taranaki was turning out scientific practical farmers. Although farmers escaped to a great extent from the effects of trades' unionism, interference had sometimes heen threatened, and in view of the manner in which labour was organising it behoved all farmers to unite and stand together. In politics the union was not a party machine, and any political candidate was only asked whether he supported the union's platform, and never asked whether the or the Opposition was supported. He referred to the good be(ing done by cow-testing associations. •Regarding preference to unionists, he said that he regarded this ..s k.uu.'tous, and he advocated freedom of contract. The following were the principal re(rnits adopted for the Dominion conference:—That the valuation of the Lands Act be so altered as to permit tall improvements, of whatever nature, made to the land, and also the capital 'value, on a 5 per cent, basis of any special rates paid on such land for jroading, etc., being reckoned as improvements; that all native lands shall he placed on the same footing for tax- > ation purposes, both local and general, as land neld by Europeans, all landE not required for the natives' own use to be purchased by the Govern men 1 and leased with the right of purchase; that the Dominion executive be asked to carefully watch any movements in the direction of obtaining an increase of Customs duties on articles required by the farming community ,and to protest against such increase. The conference also carried remit;, urging the Government to encourage, in view of the scarcity of farm labour, the efforts of those who are making no organised endeavour to bring suitable labour to New Zealand; the necessity of the Government providing inoie rolling stock for railways, so as to befct% provide for the requirement so farnuVs and the public generally, n.cre especially with reference to tile delivery of metal for roads. The conference passed i tfßclurion asking branches to instruct their representatives to endeavour to preveni the Local Government Bill coming into law in its present form: Mr. James Davidson was elected president, Mr. A. Hunter vice-presi-dent, and Mr. E. Maxwell delegate to tiie Dominion conference.