FARMERS' UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 19, 23 June 1913, Page 2

FARMERS' UNION.

TARANAKI EXECUTIVE. ■ A meeting of the Taranaki Provincial | Executive of the Ncv Zealand Farmers/ Union was held in Ha .vera on Thursday. There were present: Messrs R. Dunn, R. Lambie, F. J. Virgin, J. Swindlehurst, H. Buxton and J. Davidson. Apologies for absence were received from a number of members, including the president (Mr. A. Hunter), all of whom were granted leave. Mr. R. Dunn (vice-president) was voted to the chair. Mr. Hunter was present later on, having arrived from Palnierston North by the midday train. The secretary of the Eketahuna branch wrote asking if the Executive had any copies of the pamphlets dealing with the objects of the New Zealand Farmers' Union—The secretary said he had forwarded 200 copies to the branch—His action was confirmed. The Dominion Executive advised that the Dominion Conference would commence on July 15. Mr. Dunn referred to a proposal that there should be a higher import duty on boots and shoes. He said that in the opinion of farmers there was no necessity for anything of the kind. During the last six months, through the increased cost of hides, prices for boots and shoes had gone up by 25 per cent, and saddles 50 per cent." He thought the, Executive should protest against any further increase on the import duty oil boots and shoes. He moved iu this direction. Mr. Lambie seconded the motion. New Zealand, he said, produced the finest hides in the world, or, if not better, as good as in any other place in the world. It seemed wonderfully strange to him that their hides could be shipped to England, America or the Continent, tanned and manufactured into leather, thence into boots and shoes, and shipped back to New Zealand, that there should be so large an amount as 25 and 50 per cent, increased duty on the manufactured goods. He could not understand why the manufacturers in New Zealand could not compete against anv country in the world. ' J Mr. Dunn: They ought to. Mr. Lambie said the manufacturers should be required to give an explanation before the Executive would support a further increase on the import duty. According to the fifth plank of the' Union all tariffs put on were for the purposes of raising revenue and not for protection, and therefore in passing the resolution they were only backing up the plank of the platform. The motion was carried. On the motion of Mv. Davidson, seconded by the president, it was decided that the Provincial Executive levy for the ensuing year be Is per member, the same as last year. Air. Lambie moved—That this Executive enters its emphatic protest against preference to unionists, and is of the opinion that each man or woman, whether a member of the Union or not, should have tile same privilege of carnhi" a living. " Mr. Dunn seconded the motion, and it was carried.—l la wera Star. .