AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS

Taranaki Daily News, 10 February 1934, Page 17 (Supplement)

AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS

NORTH TARANAKI FARMERS MONTHLY MEETING OF EXECUTIVE. STATEMENTS FROM MINISTER. The monthly meeting of the North Taranaki executive of the Farmers’ Union was held at New Plymouth yesterday, Mr. H. E. Blyde presiding. Present were Messrs. C. J. Harris, H. A. Huht, W. Busing, L. Hickford, T. Phillips, T. T. Murray, W. J. Wright, A. E. Mahon, H. R. Marsh, M. Davis, P. Warren, J. F. Phillips, A. R. Alpe, H. C. Sorenson, M. Nolan, J. Butler and A. G. Dawson, Dominion organiser. Mr. Blyde extended a welcome to a new member of the executive, Mr. A. E. Mahon, Tikorangi, and to Mr. Dawson. A communication was received from the Taranaki Hospital Board stating the resolution of the board in connection with hospital benefits. The position, said Mr. D. LeC. Morgan, secretary, was that he had to confer with the secretary of the board, and provided a basis could be established, on which the board would gain some return, the scheme was likely to be inaugurated. It would include the farmer’s wife and dependents to the age of 16, and would be of great benefit to the farming community. Members agreed that the scheme, if successful, would be one of the greatest help to farming and was likely to be the forerunner of similar schemes all over New Zealand.

Although the draft itinerary arranged for. Major C. H. Douglas, founder of the Douglas social credit movement, made preliminary arrangements for him to visit New Plymouth on February 2, the arrangements had had to be cancelled, according to a letter from head office of the movement at Christchurch. REPLY FROM MINISTER. The Hon. E. A. Ransom, Minister of Crown Lands, in reply of a communication from the union that in co-operation with the Stratford Returned Soldiers’ Association the union had appointed a special committee to act with the Taranaki Land Board in reviewing the position of Crown tenants and mortgagors, stated that with regard to the question of reducing the capital values on which rental was accessed, or the principal outstanding under mortgages, the revaluation provisions of the Land Acts had been suspended by Parliament for the present. When normal conditions returned, the machinery for dealing with revaluations would be' brought into effect. In the meantime the situation could be met by granting remissions on postponements on the recommendations of the Land Board. Section 216 of the Land Act, 1924, and the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act, 1923, gave the necessary powers for dealing with revaluations of Crown leases and soldier mortgages respectively, although in the latter case mortgagors who applied for revaluation under the 1923 Act were the only ones eligible to have their cases reviewed. The Minister did not know of any enactment to deal with other soldier or civilian mortgages, but in some cases where the action was justified, powers of sale under mortgages could be exercised and in the event of the properties being “bought” by the Crown, mortgagors reinstated by the Crown under more satisfactory conditions. A further communication from the Minister of Lands in reply to an enquiry regarding the reintroduction of the benefits of the Deteriorated Lands Act stated that the same question had been raised by the Dominion secretary of the union last year. Ample power was contained in the Land Act and other legislation to grant liberal concessions to Crown tenants and mortgagors whose position was affected by the depression, an?. there was no necessity for the reopening of the provisions of the Deteriorated Lands Act. It was recognised by the department that numerous Crown tenants and mortgagors required concessions to enable them to combat deterioration and the results of the depressed prices for farming produce. The settlers concerned should lay the full position before the land board of their district to receive every consideration. Members agreed that revaluations at the present time were impossible, but the chairman stated that every consideration was being shown to settlers. RAGWORT ERADICATION. The acting district inspector of fac- - tories, Mr. C. P. Smith, in regard to the ragwort question, stated in a report: “Where a local authority is prepared to act as employer for the purpose of eradicating ragwort, registered and eligible unemployed will be made available to farmers for full-time work of not less than five days a week (no stand-down week), under Scheme No. 5, and the board will provide a subsidy of 30s per week for married men and 10s a week for single. Farmers who obtain labour for the work will be required to provide food, transport, materials and other costs and to accommodate the men where necessary. Labour under this scheme will. be available, up to February 28 only.” The secretary of the Stratford subprovincial executive, in enclosing accounts for delegates’ travelling expenses, stated that the provincial area had never been fully organised. Sheep farming prospects were looking so good and dairy farming so bad that organisation for mutual protection must be made. To traverse the district while organising would take some time. Discussion of the question of the inspection of pigs at auction sales by inspectors was deferred. The Oakura branch notified that it had decided to support the branding ,of cull calves at sale yards. The following remit had been passed: That the motor registration be amended to allow car owners to pay registration and insurance in half yearly instalments instead of annually-” On consideration by the union, the remit was lost on the voices. A suggestion that a tour of the Waikato be arranged for a party of Taranaki farmers was deferred for discussion in a year’s time.