FARMERS' UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1915, Page 3

FARMERS' UNION.

TARANAKI EXECUTIVE MEETIXU A meeting of the Taranaki Provincial Executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union was held in Hawero on Thursday. Present: Messrs E. Dunn (president), R. Lambie, H. Hodge, J. Swindlelmrst, A. E. Washer, and J. JB. Sim (provincial secretary). The Dominion secretary wrote stating that the resolution from the Kaponga branch with reference to the income tax proposals <and dealt with at the last meeting of the arecutive). had heen discussed by the Advisory Committee, who considered that as the matter involved a question of policy, it was of the opinion that it should be brought before the Dominion Conference, through the provincial conference. The Advisory Committee thought the chief difficulty in the income tax proposals was in connection with the making out of returns 'for which the necessary details were not available. The secretary was instructed to take a note of the letter, with a view to bringing the matter before the next conference.

The .Dominion secretary wrote, stating that the Advisory Committee had received correspondence from the Auckland Provincial Executive with reference to the appointment of an officer to watch proposed legislation as affecting the farmers, and recommending the interchange of visits between the provincial executives. The committee had passed the following resolutions: That it be a recommendation to each of the provincial executives to make arrangements with a member of Parliament to supply them with information concf.ninsr .exposed legislation as affecting the farming industry as soon as the Bills »j* circulated; that it be a recjininieiumtion to the provincial executives to promote the interchange of visits of members of flie executives, so as to bring farmers of the different provinces into closer touch with each other, and so increase the power and influence of the Union. A resolution was carried that the secretary be instructed to write the Taranaki members of Parliament asking them to supply information of intended legislation affecting the farming industry, and intimating that some very important legislation affecting the farmers had been passed, recently without the farming committee being fully aware of its purport. The Advisory Committe also submitted the following reeommenuation:—"That the question of compulsory military service is a matter for the "nvenunent to decide, but if, with all tim inlormation at their disposal, they consider it necessary, then the farmers of the Dominion will support it." It wa.a decided to reply to the Advisory Committee that the executive had already expressed its approval of the principle. A resolution was carried unanimously that Mr. T. Moss, president of the Wellington executive, receive the hearty thanks of the Taranaki executive for the able and straight-forward manner in which he defended the farmers' position with regard to the unjust aspersion east upon them by a certain section of the press and public in connection with the income tax returns.