MEETING OF SETTLERS AT RAES JUNCTION.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1639, 9 November 1889, Page 3

MEETING OF SETTLERS AT RAES JUNCTION.

was held in the Junction Hotel, Raes Junction, on the afternoon of Tuesday last, to consider the adyisableness of the Raes Junction and Beaumont districts being represented at the Farmers' Conference, to be held in Dunedin on the 3rd December. There were upwards of twenty settlers in attendance, several being from Crookston, Moa Flat, and Millers Flat. Mr Jas. Bennet, convener of the meeting, presided. ! THE FARMERS' CONFERENCE. The Chairman said that his object in calling the meeting was pq consider a circular which i he had received frqm the farmers' Union re the Farmers' Conference, 'requesting that steps be taken to appoint a delegate to represent the Raes Junction and Beaumont districts thereat. It afforded him very great pleasure to see such a large and representative gathering of settlers. It showed that they, like their feuoW'Settler-s at Tuapeka West, were alive to their own interests ; that they recognised that they must work together in unity if they r^aiUy desired to wipe oat of

existence many of the wrongs to which they had been so long subjected. He regarded the Conference as a means to an end ; it would aid in bringing- about reforms which all engaged in agricultural puraulbd bad long prayed for. Directly and indirectly the deliberations of the delegates at the Conference would bear abundant fruit. He did not think for one moment that the Conference would work miracles. Far from that ; for all present knew as well as he did that reforms of whatever kind were of slow growth. But the Conference would have this effect ; it would bring the farmers 'in different districts in closer touch with each other, and by that means they would more readily realise the powerful effects of combination — of comirineii action. If the farmers throughout Obi^o a« well as ( the other provincial districts of the colony | were to combine they would become n. real J power in the State ; and once it was realised that the farmers were a power, and that they were determined to exercise that power, the Government would not be slow to listen to their grievances and speedily set about to remove them. He need not dwell further upon that point: suffice it to say, that no more opportune time could be selected than the present for the farmers in the different dis< triota to come together for the purpose of deliberating upon matters which effected all in a greater or lesser degree. The subjects which would be discussed at the Conference were of a character in which all engaged in agricultural pursuits were more or less deeply interested. He considered that the thanks of the farming community were due to the Tuapeka Farmers' Union for the action they had taken in bringing about the Conference to be held in Dunedin. He was aware of the fact that there would be delegates present from all parts of Otago, and that as the result of their deliberations much good of a permanent character would be the outcome. It was for the meeting to decide whether or not a delegate to represent the Raes Junction and Beaumont districts should be sent to the Conference. Mr dimming heartily endorsed all that had been said by the Chairman. It was high time that the farmers looked after their own interests more closely. They would undoubtedly wield great power if they only banded together,and resolved to make common cause of their grievances. He moved : " That this meeting strongly approves of the holding of a Farmers' Conference in Dunedin and resolves to send a delegate thereto ; also, that steps be taken to bring about an amalgamation of the various farmers' organisations in Otago, with the object of forming a head centre." Mr Sellara (Millers Flat) seconded the mo- ■ tion, which, after some discussion, was put | and declared carried unanimously. THE LOCAL DELEGATE. Mr Cumming had much pleasure in moving : " That Mr Bennet represent the Raes Junction and Beaumont districts at the Farmers' Conference to be held in Dunedin on the 3rd December. 1 ' A better qualified gentleman or one who would take a deeper interest in the proceedings than Mr Bennet it would be hard to find. He would do credit to the dis* ' trict that selected him as its representative. Mr Beighton seconded the motion. The Chairman said he doubted very much whether he could afford the time to attend the Conference. He would rather that some one else was selected. The motion was then put to the meeting and carried unanimously, an understanding being arrived at that if Mr Bennet found it inconvenient to attend he should have the power to appoint a substitute. THE BABBIT NUISANCE ACT. Mr Cunningham (Moa Flat) said there was a matter which he would like the delegates at the Conference to speak upon with no uncertain voice. He referred to the arbitrariness of the existing Babbit Nuisance Act. As the law stood, magistrates had no discretionary power at all. If an inspector gave it that in his opinion the landowner was not taking sufficient steps to keep down the rabbits on his property it mattered not what expense the landowner had incurred or how stringent the measures he had recourse to to keep down the pest -a fine must be imposed. The magistrate bad no alternative ; the letter of j the law must be literally adhered to. He (the , speaker thought this state of things should no longer be tolerated ; and if the delegates gave this matter their attention and resolved that I a determined effort should be made either to wipe out of the statute book some of the more objectionable clauses in the Rabbit Nuisance Act, or so amend them that their arbitrariness would no longer be a condemnatory feature of the Act, they would deserve well at the hands of agriculturists and pastoralists alike. He gave it as his opinion that the inspectors should not have the power to dictate to the settlers what means they should resort to keep down the rabbits ; that should rest with the settlers themselves ; and so long as they did effective work, the inspector should not be allowed to interfere with or harass them in any way. Mr Woods remarked that the Government spent a lot of money every year in employing men to keep down the rabbits on Crown lands. That money could be saved to the country if the Government would make provision either for leasing these lands or by giving permission to parties to occupy them conditionally that they were responsible for keeping them clear of the rabbits. Determined action should be taken to minimise the powers entrusted to rabbit inspectors. Mr Beighton said the Rabbit Nuisance Act as it stood was too one-sided altogether; it conferred too much power on the rabbit inspeutous, Great discretionary power in the matter of fines should be placed in the bands of magistrates. An animated discussion on this* subject waa continued for a length of time, the majority of the settlers taking part. It was suggested that representations should also be made to the Government through the Conference to introduce stringent measures for checking the spread of the small birds. Ultimately, on the motion of Mr Shearing (Crookstou), it was resolved : " That it be a recommendation to the Conference that pressure be brought to bear upon the Government to amend the Rabbit Nuisance Act in the direction of conferring greater discretionary powers upon magistrates, thereby allowing them to deal with each case coming' before them on its merits ; also, that provision be made by legislative enactment for the suppression of the small bird nuisance." ItAILWAY FREIGHTS. Mr Cunningham moved and Mr Sim (Crookston) seconded : " That it be a recommendation to the Conference that action be taken to have the railway- charges on the carriage of stock and farm produce materially reduced." - Carried, ABOLITION OF DUTY ON IMPLEMENTS. A lengthy discussion took place re the abolition of duty on agricultural implements, etc. Finally, on the motion of Mr Wood, seconded by Mr Shearing, it was resolved : " That, in the opinion of this meeting, the duty on agricultural implements and mining machinery be abolished, and that representations to the Government through the Conference be made to that effect." OTHER QUESTIONS. Among the other questions discussed by the meeting were— The grain-bag question, commission charges, intercolonial freetrade, immigration, etc., regarding which it was resolved that the action of the Tuapeka Farmers' Union in resolving to bring these questions before the Conference for consideration be heartily commended. Re the establishment of distilleries in the Colony, the Chairman said tha^ bis ppjniqn was that if the people would dank whiskey, they should be allowed to make it. In other words, that one or more distiUeriea. should be established, in the oolony.— Several speaker* took the same view of the question as the Chairman. The meeting terminated with the usual vote to the chair.