FARMERS' UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 30, 29 July 1911, Page 2

FARMERS' UNION.

ANiNSJAL -CONFERENCE. ' -JLI By Telegraph—Press-Association. Wellington, : Thursday. The Farmers' Union C&lference-passed further resolutions as, with a view to encouraging reafforestation by private enterprise, to supplement that curried on by the State, more particularly with the object of making treeplanting more general, instead of being confined to a few localities in the Dominion, the Conference endeavor to promote legislation so as to exempt plantations for timber and shelter purposes of over an acre in extent from rates and taxes, and to provide for the subsidising of such plantations by grants; that in view of the depletion of natural forests, the Government continuo afforestation in suitable localities; that branches be urged to experiment with manures, crops and fodders; that manufacturers be asked to add a distinguishing mark on grain sacks, showing the different sizes of sacks; that the present system of electing representatives of hospital and harbor boards is most unsatisfactory, and that the old system of election be reverted to.

The election of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows:—President, Mr, J. G. Wilson, Bulls (re-elect-ed); vice-president, Mr. G. W. Leadley, ABhburton (re-elected); treasurer, Mr. W. J. Birch, Marton (re-elected); auditor, Mr. W. Rutherford, Palmcrston North; advisory committee, Messrs J. C. Copper, W. J, Birch, F. F. Hockley, and E. Campbell.

Wellington, Fr'-la'v. There was some plain talking at 'the Farmers' Union Conference iolny en the following motion, introduced hv Mr. Evans (Canterbury): That th • conference take into consideration -.hiv rptrations of the Arbitration A>:t wit.i :e----ference to its bearing on tlie industries of the Dominion,"as it is cf opinion that it is seriously riiinliig iheir development, and the Government be asked to appoint a Royil Commission of practical men to inquire into the operations of the Act. f The mover said if workers did not have decisions by the court made in their,favor they threw over the court and .ifiok the. law into their own hands. Farmers were disturbed, not by the actual workers on the fa,rm, but by their leaders. Another speaker asserted that the whole farming industry was subject to paralysis by thes_c agitators. Eventually the motion was amended, and_ one carried ,'to the effect that the advisory committee take into consideration the operations of the. Arbitration Act with reference to its bearing on industries and submit tlie, results to the Minister of Labor.