FARMERS’ UNION.

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 61, Issue 4306, 15 July 1940, Page 5

FARMERS’ UNION.

TE AWAMUTU BRANCH. GENERAL BUSINESS. Mr A. S. Wyllie (president) occupied the chair at the monthly meeting of the Te Awamutu branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union on Friday evening, when there was a representative attendance of delegates. Mr W. McGhie was welcomed as a new member of the executive, and a similar welcome was accorded Mr G. Donaldson, a former valued member. Mr W. G. Neill was granted extended leave of absence while he is carrying out Home Defence duties. Mr F. Gooder was appointed, while Mr W. G. Neill is absent on military duties, as branch representative on the Waikato sub-provincial executive and Mr Allen Bryant acts as delegate to the Transport Authority local sittings. Mr C. S. Alexander will be recommended for appointment to the local Oil Fuel Committee, Mr J. L. Wallis replaces Mr Neill on the Rural Mails Committee. PRIMARY PRODUCTION.

The president referred to the Government’s appeal and plan for increasing primary production. The Dominion was asked to produce 15,000 more tons of cheese in the coming season. This meant 10 lbs of butterfat from every cow in the Dominion. He suggested that this might be met by better management of the herds and the pasture. To increase pig export by 10,000 tons .meant every farmer raising one more pig to bacon weight each season. Could that be done? That was the problem of the Production Council. After referring to the absorption of men released from Public Works into primary production, Mr Wyllie said that greater use of fertilise! would help considerably to increase production. It |vas suggested that each farmer should raise one more heifer calf this season, for eventual inclusion in the dairy herd. Men would, no doubt, be made available for harvesting, perhaps gangs working in each district over a season of three months. A suggestion was made that these men’s wages might be subsidised. Farmers would be able to crop a greater area, and the fodder so conserved would enable more livestock to be raised.

Reference was made by Mr Crawley to the formation of a small committee of Kihikihi district settlers to develop a scheme for increasing production along co-operative lines. (Reference was made to this in a recent issue of the Courier.) Mr Crawley said a farmer about ten miles from Te Awamutu had directed attention to an area of land in his neighbourhood that seemed very suitable for co-op-erative development. Mr Crawley went on to report that at a meeting held in Puahue a recommendation was made that a central executive should be set up in Te Awamutu to co-ordinate effort. Mr Bryant said the cull cow committee had handled 1200 cows this winter and perhaps double that number of culls was sent to the works in the twelve months. Some farmers culled cows that did not produce 300 lbs butterfat; but he thought that figure was far too high. He knew many farmers who would gladly milk such cows in their herds, provided the animals were sound in their quarters. That plan would increase production quicker than rearing calves. Mr Hodgson said a camp of rural workers should be established ip or near Te Awamutu, where men could be secured for harvesting and other seasonal work. Many farmers could only employ a gang for part of a week, and that was insufficient to warrant a gang being established; but successive farmers could keep the gang fully employed right through the harvesting season. Continuing, Mr Hodgson said he hoped any scheme of financial assistance from the Government would not be along the lines of the Rural Intermediate Credits scheme, which required that borrowed money had to be paid back, by instalments, before results were obtained from the expenditure. WORK ON THE FARM. When Mr Hodgson advocated making representations to the Government to cancel spring and autumn school holidays and extend the long vacation in mid-summer, so that the older boys could help on the farms at the height of the harvesting season; another member interjected with the comment: “I think that the kids should be cut out of this!” (Hear, hear). A general discussion followed on the subject of increasing primary production, in which it was indicated that meetings are being convened in various parts of the district with the object of reaching unanimity in a course of action.

Mr Rea said increased production had been advocated by non-farmers. but farmers realised that they were producing up to the limit of their farms. Cheese could be increased at the expenses of butter without much difficulty. As to increasing pig production, his idea was for the Government to enable Canterbury farmers to grow more grain, which would be needed for raising pigs. The grain must be cheap. Mr C. S. Alexander said the first and best essential was to ensure greater export. The obvious step was to ration bacon and cheese in the Dominion, and this would allow of a greater export. Rationing would create an incentive to produce more bacon and cheese. So far there had been no sadrifice in New Zealand. Small committees could function usefully in each district and these committees should include pig buyers and experienced pig raisers who could advise and guide others by the personal touch. The Farmers’ Union could sponser such a course of action. Mr S. A. Ammon said growing more root crops to carry pigs through the winter months was a great forward step. Carrots were a splendid crop, but growing carrots required a good deal of labour for weeding. His idea was to get subsidised labour gangs in each district, usable for weeding at suitable times and for other farm improvement work between times. He asked that inquiry be made. Mr Flay said inquiry was already being made in that direction by Mr R. A. Candy.

Mr Hodgson thought the Farmers’ Union branch should proceed to call meetings in all parts of the district to discuss means of increasing primary production. The Dairy Board had asked the Farmers’ Union to do this.

Mr Perrott reverted to the suggestion concerning school holidays and said there was no need to bring the school children into the scheme. Let them have their normal holidays.

Mr G. Donaldson said the Kihikihi sub-committee favoured breaking up a low-producing area by co-operative effort rather than each farmer breaking up an acre or two of his own grassland. He felt that details could easily be worked out. Swedes could be produced at about 5s per ton, plus cartage.

It was decided to ask each delegate to epnvene a meeting of farmers in his own district, to discuss increased production, the meeting to appoint a representative to a central executive in Te Awamutu.

Meantime a small provisional committee was set up as follows: Messrs C. S. Alexander, G. T. Crawley, A. S. Wyllie, C. J. Flay and A. Bryant. Appreciation was expressed of the offer by Mr Pethbridge, of Kihikihi, to make his farm tractor available for any approved farm improvement scheme sponsored by the Primary Production Council. TERRITORIAL TRAINING.

Mr Donaldson referred to the Defence authorities’ intention to alter the period of training for the Mounted Rifles (Territorials) from April, May and June to three months earlier. He thought this would cause a great deal of inconvenience on the farms, during the peak of the dairying season, including harvesting. Members agreed, and it was proposed to ask that the training camp period be arranged for a more suitable time of the year. It was pointed out that most of the Mounted Rifles are farmers and farm workers. “Remember, there’s a war on!” remarked another member.

“But so has primary production to be maintained!” came the retort. ENEMY ALIENS.

Mr W. J. Hodgson caustically criticised the inactivity of the Government in respect to dealing with enemy aliens in the Dominion, particularly near important production units such as hydro-electric plants. He said he had placed facts before a Minister some months ago, and had been rebuffed in no uncertain terms. The speaker said the Government was now urging farmers to increase production by raising thousands more pigs and to change from butter to cheese. Those steps should have been taken months ago. The Government had failed dismally. Mr Crawley undertook to discuss some of the aspects mentioned with Mr Mulholland while in Wellington shortly. RURAL MAILS. As convenor of the special subcommittee to investigate rural mail services, Mr Bryant displayed a map of the surrounding districts showing roads that rural mail vehicles service and roads that are not serviced. The sub-committee would be investigating further and he hoped to be able to present a report of progress to next meeting. The idea was to enlarge mail routes and eliminate back-run-ning, thus ensuring service to as great a number of settlers as possible. Mr G. R. La wry reported that the sixth and last cull-cow drive from this district was so poorly supported that the cows had to be sent to the killing works by rail. There were not enough to warrant employing drovers. He thought it advisable to defer further drives until next winter. The committee had exercised close supervision, and hoped soon to be able to present a statement of accounts. GENERAL. Mr Bryant gave a resume of business dealt with at last meeting of the Waikato sub-provincial executive. Mr Crawley reported that Mr C. A. Moore, of the Auckland executive proposed to visit the district to attend the meeting at Cambridge next week under the auspices of the Meat Board. It was suggested that the Te Awamutu branch might arrange to meet him.

The president reported that the Drama Festival had proved very successful, and the financial position would be placed before next meeting. Mr W. J. Hodgson voiced the opinion that the Red Cross, which is practically part and parcel of the military organisation, should not be dependent upon voluntary donations and gifts. His own view was that it was a national organisation and responsibility and its needs should be provided by the Government (Hear, hear). Mr Wyllie reported that the date for the visit to Ruakura Farm School, with the Young Farmers’ Clubs of Kakepuku and Te Awamutu, was July 24th—Wednesday of next week—and he asked as many members as possible to make the visit. Mr G. T. Crawley read a letter from Mr A. E. Robinson, provincial secretary, urging that farmers’ organisations should not be caught unprepared, and instanced a dispute between farmer and employee (a sub-sidised worker). A disputes committee could very well be appointed in each district to deal with possible similar cases.