Farmers' Union.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 156, 6 July 1904, Page 3

Farmers' Union.

TfiE COLONIAL CONFERENCE. <;^V,repress Association.) WELLINGTON, July 5. Tho third annual conference of the Colonial Conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Union opened here today. Mr J. G. Wilson, the president, after reviewing tho outlook for the ; ' farming community, said the ExecuF*"' tive Council report dealt with a number of important matters. *'..' Speaking on the freehold v. lease- .. * hold question, he reviewed tho Pre- \ ijrier'a recent speech, and said it ;' Was tha Government's threat of u. '•'; bill affecting their tenures that was , making the Crown tenants so un- ■■ •' -' *aj»y, and desirous of acquiring the freehold. Tho union, in the interests of settlement, production and the happiness of settlers, must take every means in its power of placing .. this question before the people of the ,: colony. Referring to the mutual int; jßurance scheme, he said the insur''t . f aiice companies had refused to reduce . the rates, but since the passing of the Mutual Insurance Bill they had mad* a reduction, which was significant. They had arranged for the mutual insurance societies to get I reinsurance outside "the ring" at a

rate yet to be agreed to. Mr Wilson also spoke at some length on the desirableness of the Government t" providing experimental stations and ■k lenbnical agricultural education. HT ;The balance-sheet showed a subW jnnjial-credit balance. W i A resolution of sympathy was pas- " '.id with ,the family of Mr J. o'■eara, M.H.R., for Pahiatua. x The president expressed regret at • te absence through illness of Mr W. A Smith, of Auckland, who was Jcally the father of the union. I. Clarke (Otago) moved that overnment be urged to so the I/and Act as to give !WO~WB- : tenants the option of pur- /. chasing the freehold of their land. After a lengthy debate an amend- ,' jment by Mr Tansey (Ilawke's Bay) ' was defeated, and the mouon carried.

■ . A resolution proposed by Mr Mc- ■ .Queen (Otajjo) with an addition by ■ Mr A. H. Russell (Hawkc's Bay) was I' 'carried in the following form. That H tbe conference heartily confirms and I endorses the third plank of the unB,,}ion.platform claiming the optional BjHpnure of land, while expressing apHft><vval i>! leasehold, which often in-i BHjfil 'M':pijrcHase t0 become setb\\- I C Cooper (Wellington) ■B nM ]P l ? of the Lands for Settlement conference is of opinion it W' l o apply to native lands al- **' ™ motion was agreed to. i«! A proi, 08al t0 make a u purchases "iS b^eCt »° f* approval of both ~. jjjHousesof p ar H ament was rejected. / j 0n ™ e motion of Mr H. W. Wall *i(Poverty Bay) it was resolved that ,■: /Ejection 12fc of the Land Act _ 1892> v'AJ|M.w as to allow loca i , .ffKraites to Veceive a ijroportion of the j* ■ !«S Cas P rlce foqiual to that paid under ' ,»Ptner tenuC ". vf U was "feed, on the motion of Mr ; «H.- J. K jjaardß (Wellington) that M jthi» eonierdL ce protest s against the 4J Assessment! as constituted, ■', J Mid aflain t rges on tne Government i, 1 the equity k f a n owing one assessor ~ aPPO|j ted , )y local bo dies. .; Mr J. But gesg (Taranaki) moved » that tho cimjerence protests against j, the way ill f wbicn tho unimproved j value ol ltmd nag raised and a I comparatively low value a ii o wed for improvement The mo tion was ■I carried. F ■ : . It -was the! decided, 0 n the motion of Mr Leartlfo tfta t the Valuation Att bo amet dwi that nny o dditjonal vnluol a dd e d by the expendiof local li„ oneys o *ther than gensubsidies! or .. tnirt i s " l>o classed aa improvdj vame j n the same ay ,*? ° thc J {improvements. Mr Biehards) mo ved y lat authority expendi^ ura oJ Government in aid j bo isßllcd to ftodthe 31L t Decembe r after the Est lm "\tes are passed. The was D. Ueid (otago) ,„ovcd as. a "lotion, by permission. tho GoV( irnniont be asked to the systcin of grant* system of graduated An amendment by Mr curried that all t»o- - local bodice be ,oiie graduated scale. r " 1 , Gilruth, Chief Govern-Vi-innrian, addressed the i on to-night on tho bldeg and mamitis. these serious diof ctlb' compulsory a. iscl'alion, periodic ■■■■■Ksßtirnf ~L i lk at factories. of\echmical etlucution, Mr BHHHHV expiisscjd hiH surprise BHHHHM in 1.1, colonies being tauglit BHHHHI regaiding methods agnHHHHnd (ItUildl the conil>rehenBHHHHHisiW m ade ■■■■■Vaif teachiiiK of agriculture.