OPUNAKE FARMERS’ UNION

Taranaki Daily News, 6 May 1930, Page 15

OPUNAKE FARMERS’ UNION

ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS. The annual meeting of the Opunake branch of the Fanners’ Union was held on Saturday, Mr. A. Pettigrew presiding over a fair attendance. The ba’ance-sheet showed receipts totalled £47 13s 4d. and payments £l4 14s, leaving a credit, of £32 19s 4d. The chairman, moving the adoption of the balance-sheet stated that since the branch was formed 18 months ago, only one meeting had lapsed. He would like to see attendances larger. There had been a slight decrease in membership and he suggested it was time another canvass was. made. The membership at present was about 50. It had been between 70 and 80 the previous year, ’ Mr. Chambers said the balance-sheet showed a healthy position. He.instanced the keen interest shown by the. women’s branch. Attendances were good and enthusiasm excellent. : Officers elected Were: ' President, Mr. F. Young; vice-president, Mr, jR, Julian; secretary, Mr. W. G. F. Chambers; committee, executive officers and Messrs. L. Eustace, J. D. Conaglen junr, and J. Hunt; delegates to conference at Manaia, Messrs. W. G. F. Chambers and J.-F. Shepherd. Mr. C. O. Edmonds, retiring secretary, was voted a bonus of £lO. The following remits are to be forwarded'to the annual conference of the Taranaki provincial executive to be held at Manaia: — That the Government be asked to assist the bacon and pork industry of the Dominion. That the Government be asked to make a separate division 1 in the Department of Agriculture for the bacon and pork industry to.-give producers all possible information and assist them to ex? pand the industry. . That the Dominion executive make a small allocation ,;from the members’ fees fund to provide members with free copies of Govcrncnt agricultural pamphlets and perffi’icals. That each branch in addition to the president be allowed an elected delegate to attend the annual executive conference, , In discussing the pig industry Mr. Conaglen said the Government could spend more on primary industries and less on education. Mr. Pettigrew said the difficulty was that a farmer fattened pigs for export and when the pigs were sold the farmer heard nothing more about them, whether they were diseased or the right sort for export. T! j consequence was the farmer was at a blank wall. In the Waikato the farmers had appointed an official to make observations ’to the farmers.