FARMERS' UNION

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 225, 21 April 1933, Page 5

FARMERS' UNION

MIDHIRST NEWS

Annual Meeting Held

Tho annual meeting of the Midhirst Farmers' Union was hold last night, when over 30 members were presided over by the president, Mr. M. Davis, who was re-elected to that position. The secretary, Mr. J. E. Schumacher, was also re-elected, reference being made to the ability of

both officers. In moving the adoption

j of the balance-sheet, which disclosed I a credit balance of £9 14s lOd, tho j chairman expressed the hope that the i spring would usher in a belter year I for the farmers. Mr. Davis threw out I the suggestion that perhaps a reduc- ; tion in the subscription to the union i might result in about the same amount ', of money being received with a subj stantial increase in membership. This ! was a matter which could be considj crod later. i During the year lectures were delivered by Messrs. Ross and Hill Moj tion on milk grading, by Mr. 11. I Graham on farmers' accountancy, by j Mr. R. R. Tyrer on intermediate erei dits, Mr. C. Dickie on bobby calves, ', Mr. J. R. Corrigan on currency re-

\ form', Mr: Kill Motion again on ster- ! ility'of dairy cattle, and Mr. Kirkby, I one of the branch's own members, on | unemployment. Messrs. W. J. Poison, • M.P.. Hull and Graham also addressed I the branch. Another important mat- | ter that the branch interested itself i in was that of remission of rates. This i proposal, as fostered by the county i council, was turned down in the hope | that something better and more permanently helpful would be devised. "It would seemi," said the chair-

i man, "that instead of getting our rates remitted we got the higher rate of exchange, and having got it it is up to all farmers to support its continuance." Australia, he said, had really ! been forced on to a higher exchange ! rate two years ago because exporters > were actually selling surpluses in 1 London at a higher rate than the ■ banks were offering. Thus conditions j were not exactly similar to those in New Zealand, but at the same time ! he believed efforts to reduce the New | Zealand exchange should be strenu- ! ously opposed. ! Mr. Davis went on to refer to the various remits sent forward by the i branch from time to time, explaining i how they had been dealt with and what results were achieved.

In reply to Mr. G. Anderson, who seconded the motion, Mr. D. Le C. Morgan, North Taranaki provincial secretary, explained that last year 4s was returned to branches, 7s 6d was sent to headquarters at Wellington and 8s 6d was retained for the working of the. provincial office. This year it was proposed to return the same amount to branches but to reduce the Wellington allotment to 5s and increase the amount for the provincial I executive to lis. Out of this lis it j was proposed to give 4s to the Strati ford sub-provincial executive . | After a brief discussion the balance I sheet and report were adopted, j Officers were elected as follow: I President, Mr. M. Davis; vice-presi- ! dents Messrs. J. 11. Kirkby and A. I Fault; secretary, Mr. J. E, Schu'maj cher;' auditor, Mr. H. Graham; additional members to form the executive, i Messrs. P. R. Paul, J. Graham and W. | Vickers; delegates to the Stratford i sub-provincial executive, the prcsiI dent, vice-presidents and the secre- | tary; delegates to the annual confer- | ence' Messrs. Davis and J. 11, Kirkby. The secretary was voted an honori arium of £2 2s. Mr. Morgan delivered an address upon mat tors affecting farmers, particularly in Taranaki. lie also deal With I the work of the union ia North TavaI naki and from a national point of View ! and issued an appeal to farmers to I ret together more to think out their j problems and discuss them amicably :il their meetings. Mr. Morgan was accorded a vote of thanks, ! Delegates to the provincial conierI euce were instructed to support the l remit to be presented by the Cardiff ! branch having for its object a reducJ tion in rentals of rural telephones. On the motion of Mr. Paul it was I decided not to press for a reduction j;„ tho annual subscription to the j union, though the voting was fairly

close, . , It was left to the chairman and secretary to frame a remit to the com feronce seeking a temporary remission of the principal on Stale advances mortgages. The remit is to be framed after receipt of further advice from the provincial secretary,