DISTRICT NEWS.

Thames Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 17972, 22 August 1930, Page 5

DISTRICT NEWS.

N6ATEA.

FARMERS' UNION

(From Our Correspondent). M The local branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union held their usual monthly meeting on Wednesday mg, Mr. J. T. Darlington (chairman), presiding, members in attendance being Messrs. O. W. Schultz, S; Phelps,. R. Rowling, R. Burke, N. Burke, G. Phillips, H. F. Louch, and the secretary, J. Spence. In reply to a letter forwarded to the Minister of Agriculture requesting! that tall fescue should be included in the second schedule of the NoxiJ ous Weeds Act, the Minister stated' his departmental officers were of the, opinion that such action would notf lx> conducive to any practical l)enefit, ,c whereas it might create additional hardship for farmers whose land iSj heavily infested with the pest. Fur-J thermore, there was at present no ete fective way of dealing with the pesti apart from cultivation, and this; would be an uneconomical and im-<! practicable process in «■ great many* cases and, of course, impossible along; s the drains. The Minister further stated tHafe his officers were engaged in carrying out trials with sodi,um chlorate ■■.■ bail see if this would kill tall fescue, and; if the trials were at all successful, the farmers- on the Hauraki Plains* would be in a better position to deal? with the problem. Until the results* ■were known it would be iul(vi defer the matter. v ' 3 A letter; received from Mr. A. \V£Hall, M.P;, dealing with the and the derating of farm lands wasj received. Mr. Hall had been in sultation with the Minister of Agrir 1 culture, and stated that the* ment thought it unnecessary to elude tall fescue in the second I schedule of. the Noxious Weeds Act,| Re-ratnifi of Farm Lands.

In mentioning the increased tax., on benzine, Mr. Hall stated in his-, letter that whether he supported this| or otherwise entirely depended on; what the increase would be used for. If it was for the purpose of easing the burden of rates on rural lands, it was worthy of support, but if the 7 increase was to be handed over to\ the Main Highways Board .for Hhe : r purpose of making a few better for through traffic, he wouldl oppose the item.. > In furtherance, Mr. Hall said that| his personal opinion was that the--extra taxation was being put on, not to help the primary producers, but to .help the ..Government out with ' their .Budget,' and lie felt sure tlmtj the usual subsidy would not. v «? !<*'s% from the Consolidated Fund to thev Highways Account. The petrol tax. he thought, vsould be used ior backroads in place of the usual su! rr.ly from the Consolidated Funu to *he j Public Works Department. This charge would not Ixmefit settlers- anfti.. would put increased taxation on to ; all users of the roads. _ ii \ In reply to an invitation to visit* the district, the member stated, that this would not be possible until ter the present session. In discussing the reduction of rates with Mr. Hall, Mr. A. M. Samuel, M.P., agreed that the im- t position of the petrol tax should go to help in the reduction of rates on farm lands. . The following letter was received from the Provincial secretaryptfef 1 questing that the local branch shouldendorse samt: — ■ "That the example of Ureat ±»ri--tain in the derating of farm lands be followed in New Zealand. A; (Continued on Page 8.)