WAITAHUNA FARMERS' CLUB.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1976, 1 March 1893, Page 5

WAITAHUNA FARMERS' CLUB.

The monthly meeting of the abovenamed body was held in the Good Templars' Hall, Waitahuna, on Saturday evening. There was a fair attendance of members ; Mr Jno. Rose (President) in the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.

TUB QUEENSLAND FLOODS. The President said he would like to hear an expression of opinion from the members as to the steps they thought desirable towards assisting those nnfor. nate people who are Buffering so severely from the recent floods in Queensland. He \ras perfectly satisfied they all heartily sympathised with them in their misfortune and were prepared to assist both individually and collectively. He would, therefore, move : " That this Club give a donation of £5 to the Queensland relief fund." Mr Craig, in seconding the motion, said he felt; sure that the settlers in "VVaitahuna would assist as far as laid in their power. It was also resolyed, on the motion of Mr MArs, to canvass the district on behalf of the relief fund. ILLNESS OP MR W. CROZIEB. " Much sympathy was expressed by members present at tne continued illhealth of Mr W. Crozier, who has been one of the irost active members of the Club ever since it was established. The Secretary was instructed, on the motion of Mr Craig, to write to Mr Crozier conveying the sympathy of the Club in his long-continued illness, aud expressing the hope that he would be speedily resi^red to a state of convalescence. JtEADJTJSTMfcNT OF BOUNDARIES.

Mr Cowen moved the motion stand- I ing in his name — viz. : " That it is peeegsary that t>liere should b.o a readjustment bf the boundaries pf the ridings in tho Tuapel?a County, and that the Secretary write to the County Council drawing attention to the matter." In speaking to the motion, the mover pointed . out that there -was a very material increase in the land taken up for settlement in the County since the boundaries were defined at the time the County system of local government came into operation, and the boundaries that at that time might have been suitable were ppw, in Ms opiniop, altp : gether unsuitable under the present Jircurastances of the various ridings, bith as to rateable value and. extent of

area; and as the Counties Act gave tbe Council power to deal witli such matters when necessary, he thought tbe time bad arrived when attention should bo drawn to the matter.

Mr Cameron, in seconding tho motion, spoke at considerable length, aud iv the course of bis remarks stated tbat be bad given a good deal of attention to the necessity of somo readjustment of the ridings. In originally laying off the boundaries of tho ridings, sufficient attention had not been paid to community of interest. In support of this contention he pointed out tbe manner in which the deferred payment settlers in Hankleburu aud at Waitahuna West bad been treated in respect to tbe expenditure of tho subsidy for i-oad-making. There bad been enough money expended in Waitahuna West to have made a good metalled road into Waitahuna,with which place their interests were identical, instead of wbicb it had been expended in such a manner as to be of little service to them. Tho cause of this was that Waitahuna West was in three different districts— viz., Browns and Ciarks ridings and Balmoral Road Board district; whereas if it bad been in either ol tbe foregoing ridings, its requirements would havo been better attended to. Tbe same remarks applied to the Eanklcburn settlement. A readjustment of the ridings was also necessary from a financial point of view, as well as on accouut of a fairer division of voting power. He (Mr Cameron) would read tbe following figures in support of this view : —

EateaWe value of properties and number of ratepayers (mtli total number of votes) in each lidiug of Tuapeka County :— Waitahuna, £70,150; ratepayers, 205; total number of votes, 230. Clurks, £55,1 jO; ratepayers, 123; votes, 113. Browns, £52,490; ratepayers, 341; votes, 173. Waipori, £61,910; ratopnycrs, 166; votes, lfc>2. Gabriels, #•6,070; rateiayei-s, 258; vote 3, 268. Teviot, £182,135; rntepnyers, 203; votes, 221. Jntnes, JL20+.842 ; ratepayers, 163 ; votes, 200. Beaumont, i' 42,073; ratepayers, 89; votes, 108. 'Japauui, £124,^00 ; ratepayers, 113 ; vote?, 147. Hates t rora several ridiugs of Tunpeka County for year 1892-93 :— Waitahuna : Geneial, £198 Is 4Jd j mining, £2] 9s 4|d— total, A 219 10s Oil. Ciarks: Genera), £171 103 2id ; inininp, 15s 3}d— total, *172 5s 6d. Browns : General, £2ati loa o^d ; mining, 3s 9d— total, £2SB 18s 9Jd. Waipori; General, £112 19s B}d; mining, £80 10s 9Jd— total, £193 10s 6J. Gabriels : General, Lll9 6s 3JJ. ; miniuf?, LB9 18s 9d —total, L 209 5s o}d. Teviot : general, 1.356 8s Id ; mining, L 212 15s 4£d— total, L 569 3s 6J. James : General, LSJ9 9s (sd ; mining, LOO 12s 6d— total, L6M)2s. Beaumont: General, Ll2S 11s 54d; mining, L 5 13s 9d— total, Ll3l 5s 2Jd. Tapanni : General, L 389 19s 9J. Thero were many other matters he could touch upon requiring amendment, but he thousrbt he had shown sufficient reasons why a readjustment was necessary. Mr M'Ara was in favour of the matter being brought before the County Council, and thought that, from the figures read to the Club,ib was necessary there should be a readjustment of the ridiugs. Mr Ci*aig was of opinion that if the County Council took any action in the matter the lower ridings were likely to suffer by having one of the number wiped our altogether, and thus a greater preponderance of voting power given to the upper ridings. After some further discussion, the motion was put and declared carried. CENTRAL FAKMURS' UNION. Mr Craig's motion, of which he had given notice at the previous meetiug, in reference to the amalgamation of the four adjoining Counties — viz., Bruce, Clutha, Taieri and Tuapeka — for the purpose of endeavouring to form a Central Farmers' Union, nest came up for discussion. Mr Craig pointed out that every trade and profession had combiued together to watch over and guard their interests, but the farmers remained isolated or only partially united by farmers' clubs, which, although doing a certain amount of good, were not able to bring such influence to bear iv protecting their interests as could be dope by a closer organisation. He was, therefore, of opinion that a union could be formed, if the farming community only went earnestly to work in the matter, on such lines as could not fail of being of great benefit to them. He trasted the various clubs in the districts indicated would take the matter into tbeir serious consideration and see if the objept of the motion could not be attained,'

Mr APAra seconded the motion, and stated that he was strongly in favor of forming a central executive, say, to meet in Milton. He thought that place would be very suitable for their meetings, and he felt sure that much good would l'esult from such an organisation if only entered into with a determination of making ib successful, Mr Martin Ryan was of opinion that the torming of such a union as that; pro* posed would be beneficial if worked on proper lines. Mr Cowen was also of opinion that a combination such as proposed would be of considerable benefit to the farming community ; but from past experience, he thought they would have some difficulty in getting the farmers to unite, even, for their qwn benefit. After some further discussiou, the motion was put to tho meeting and declared carried. LOADING BANK, JOHNSTON STATION. Ihe Secretary was instructed (on tbe motion of Mr Craig) to write to tbe Railway Traffic Department requesting that the necessary formation and approach to the loading bank »t the Johnston station be proceeded with. WAITAEUNA RAILWAY STATION, On the motion of Mr Livingston, the Secretary was instructed to write to the District Engineer requesting to be infornied when the x'oad fpr ljgbt traffip tp ♦•ho Waitahqna railway station platlorm, applied for some time ago by th\> Wai* tahuna Farmers' Club, would be constructed." ACCOUNTS. Account?? amounting to £5 03 lid were passed for payment. KOTICE 03? MOTION. Mr Cameron gave notice of his intention to move at next meeting: " Tbat members of the Club be allowed the use of tbo sheep dip free of charge." ] I This was all the business.