FARMERS' UNION.

Timaru Herald, Volume CI, Issue 15447, 9 September 1914, Page 2

FARMERS' UNION.

TE.MUKA BRANCH. SHEARING CLASSES. A meeting of the Teniuka liianch ol tile I'ai mi is l'limit \\a< lie.d in t'.u; E.re Brgi.ito ilali. 'lemiu;n, \es,ei\.aval ternoon. Present: —.Wool's T»ent\niau Paterson, \\ rigut. Mworo ami Tnoreau (secretary). The secictary mt.maied mat he had received several letter* ilMii -Messrs T. Buxton and \\.-Nusworihy. M.t* s. piom..s.ng lo do what- tney could \vit:i u-gaiM to the tanil on Australian liotii" «.i : cii tuc Branch hail urgid snould lie the same as the Australian tar If < u New /.eaiand thilll". In the present slate of affairs, he tlid not thiitti much could In- done. The chairman said that witii the except ion ol Canterbury tho whole ol New Zealand lavoilled trade- w.th Australia. Canterbury was the principal wheat producing prov.nee ami the (itiestioit which concerned them so ii-.t.iuale'v d'd not allect other parts of New Xoa'iand to any extent. The .-eeictary said that tho Labour party had approached the Prime .\l:nVter and asked that tho duty bo taken off lor tlnee months. lit his reply Mr Massey sa.d that he must ce>:.-ider tho gnt'n growers. The Teniuka Tecunical Association wrote forwarding a statement showing that with the suhsidy of £lO due from the Depaninent the" shearing classes conducted la-t year had shown a .profit of IMi) l!»s twt. A letter was received- from the Canterbury Sheep-owners' I'nion advisng that it had divided to mako a grant of £23 for tlte shearing classes at Tciuuka ami rimaru, the nnmey to be ixpended in teach.ng blade shearing only. The chairman said it appeared tn ; him that there was only one answer to give to the Sheep Owners' I'nion. I They should accept the offer with ! thanks. No exception could be taken ito the stipulation that only blade shearing shcu.d he taught. These who had a knowledge of blade shearing scon picked up machine shearing. Mr Smart, the Director of the Technical who was present, sa.d that the AA'aimate classes had been granted £23 by the Sheep Owners' I'li.on. and at theso classes machine as well as blade shearing was taught. « Air Thf.reau explained that the classes were kept quite Separate, and Unit tho Sheep Owners' Union only subsidised tho blade shearing class. He asked -Air Smart if he hud any suggestion to make by which the number of students could be increased. Mr Smart said that tho Beard of Managers were hold'ng a meeting at the end of the month which would be attended by Mr S. McCully, who wouid probably place them in possession of* information about the shed and about the sheep likely to be available, but until tho meeting had been held ar.d they had discussed the position with Mr" MeCuily he could not place anything definite before the Union. The Association thought of a.pproaching farmers with a view to getting them to pav something for the sheep brought for shearing by tlte pup.'ls. It was hard tn get pupils, who in order to join the classes liad to pay a fee. lose a. certain amount of t : mo from profitable work, and at the same time pay for board. AVith the donation promised by the Sheep Owners' Association he saA\- no reason why instruction should not be free. The cluviman asked if a charge was not made for attendance at other classes. Mr Smart i Not in every case. People who are unable to pay are not pressed for fees. Mr Patcrson said that by paying a. fee and attending tho classes instruction could be gained more economically than by learning at an ordinary shed. Air Smart sa.d the Association *and Mr McCur.v had done all that was r.oss'blo for students last year, and yet tlie attendance had been ' rather poor. From last year's results it would b-> seen that a profit could be made even if instruction were given free. They received 3d per hour for each Mudent. and this would yield more than the fees. Mr McCully'was cr the oplr.'oii that farmers would be willing to pay half rates. Mr Moore sad that the more students there were tho more w.Tn'ng fanners would be to send sheep along, s-int-e there would be less delay in get,t : m: them shorn. Mr AA"right expressed a similar view. Tlie chairman sa.-'d there was on : > advantage in having sheco shorn at tlie classes. Farmers would not be i'bMge.l to get their own shells ready; nor would they have to clean up after shearing. Tiie chairman sa : d that a spec'fic charge for shearing could not b? made ami it would be left to fanners to contribute according to their liberality. One lancer whose sheep had been shorn by the Timaru classes had offered the Technical Association a donation oi £s. and this man was bringing JIOO sheep to be thorn by the students this year. In ivply to a question from Mr Smart, the secretary made it phiin thai the Tenutka o'asses would receive one-half of the £ - J."j granted by the Sheep Owners* Union. He added that the Teniuka Assoclatrn had the £lO lili fid gained liom last year to work upon th s year. and if money was i-sod for the purpose iav which it was intended, the posifon of the classes thnuld LM-adtiiiliy become stronger. On the motion of the chairman; seconded by Mr Paterson: it was decided to request the Temuka Asso. c:at:on to pn.ceed with the formation lof blade shear.ng classes this year. It was agreed that the classes sliou'd start on about November 1. and it wis suggested that" the late in.-trustor's J seri'ics should be ohta : ned again if p .ssli'e. or failing that Mr Hope to be engaged. 'I n meeting then went into romnrttee to consider a matter re'at.'ng to the batch of domestic servant's that \ b:.d been obtained through t>':o i (foils if the Union from the Old Country.