FARMERS’ UNION AFFAIRS

Taranaki Daily News, 15 July 1929, Page 3

FARMERS’ UNION AFFAIRS

NORTH TARANAKI EXECUTIVE. At the monthly meeting of the provincial executive of the North Taranaki Farmers’ Union there were present Messrs. H. Blvde (chairman), C. J. Harris, W. Maloney, A. TL Alpe, J. T< Phillips, Whitaker, M. Nolan, J. Paulger, W. Hall, H. Jones, A. M. Allen, R. B. Sutton, Benoni White, J. B. Dunn and B. Gillies.

The Minister of Education acknowledged receipt of resolutions passed af the annual conference regarding the conveyance of school children aiid stated the matter would receive careful consideration, after which a reply would bo forwarded

The district intermediate credit supervisor (Mr. D. S. McKay) wrote thanking the union for the facilities offered to° the Deputy-Commissioner of Rural Credits during his recent visit. The New Plymouth branch of the R.S.A. advised that. it had appointed Mr. C. J. Harris as its representative on the executive.

The Minister of Public Works (the Hon. E. A. Ransom) acknowledged receipt of a remit urging that settlers in the Ngatimaru district be given a 12ft track to their sections. He would be pleased to have a report made upon the matter, which would receive careful attention when the Public Works road estimates were being framed. \ The chairman reported that after a discussion with Mr. Lyons, Director of the Live Stock Division of the Department of Agriculture, they had realised that it would not be advisable for the department to purchase a farm where investigations into the cause of sterility in cows could be carried out. A nior< thorough investigation was possible whei the officers of the division could have various farms In different districts undei their supervision instead of dealing with one farm only and one set of conditions.

a resolution was passed urging that the Arms and Explosives Act be amended to allow of free purchase of explosives.

It was decided to take steps to secure an invitation for the next National Dairy Association meeting to be held, in New Plymouth. A decision that grass-seed from different districts be coloured so that buyers would know from which district their seed came was reached, Mr. , Phillipa stating that the seed from some districts was better than that from others. Settlers on the Uruti Road in a petition state# that they were at present paying a special rate to the Clifton County Council in respect to a loan of £2OOO raised in 1016 with a Government subsidy of £ for £ for the construction of the Uruti-Tangitu deviation. Through increased traffic they were confronted with the necessity of metalling the newly-formed road, but owing to the burden they were now carrying in regard to the loan and other rates, the cost of the work was more than they could bear. They drew attention to the fact that the former work was in the first instance a matter for the Public Works Department, which -was approached on several occasions. These efforts, were unsuccessful and, tiring -after 18 years of having to pack goods over a precipitous saddle with a 6ft. track of five miles, they had raised the loan to facilitate access to their holdings. In addition to rates on their own properties the settlers were being rated as well in connection with the cost of laying down the main highway from Taranaki to Auckland, from which they derived no great benefit, the nearest setters’ farm on their road being eight mites away, To enable them to carry on with the metalling of their road they now applied for a Government grant of £2OOO to repay existing loan money, their intention being then to apply for a £ for £ subsidy which they would make available for the purpose in question as far as the money would go. In acceding to the request the department would be placing the petitioners on the same footing as back-country farmers in other parts of the Dominion, who were having good dray roads to their farms, and they felt confident that, realising the importance of their requirements, the Minister would give the matter his earnest consideration.

It was stated by Mr. Alpe that all the land in the district had originally been Government land. They had had a 6ft. track and had petitioned Parliament many times to form the road, without success. Then it had been suggested that the road should be deviated. The settlers had borrowed money and carried out the work, on which they were now paying one penny in th® pound. They were also paying jd for the metalling of a portion of the Urutt Road. The Moki settlers, he said, had received assistance such as they now required. After discussion it was decided to endorse the petition and to solicit the support of the Chamber of Commerce in the matter.