N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4897, 5 October 1901, Page 3

N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

The first Provincial Conference of delegates from the Otago branches of the New Zealand Farmers' Union was opened at Milton on Tuesday and again on Wednesday, when the conference closed. The following delegates were present : — Messrs B. Craig (Waitahuna), Alex. Fraser (Lawrence), jR, Simmers (YTaifcoifcaiK Jatia. Fiadtey (B&loiwtha), Tbos. Taylor (Clinton), J. Allison and J. Tough (Milton). T. Scott (Maniototo), T. Gillar (Dipton), H. M'Coll (Mataura Island), E. McAllister (Riversdale), Jos. Milne (Wyndham), R. Dodds (Gore), Jno. MTherson (Balfour), G. P. JohnBtone (Waikaka Valley), J. M'Kercher (Woodlands), J. Newton (Wairio), Tapper (Invercargill), M'lntyre (Thornbury), T. Patterson (Winton), J. W. Blair (Outram), W. Blackie (Mosgiel), D. Borrie (Oamaru), Jas. Koss and Tbos. Muir (Palmerafcon), John M'Arfiney (Portobello); Mr A, Glass, the organising secretary, and Mr A. Campbell, provincial secretary), pro tten%r n% were in attendance.

The election of chairman was then proceeded with. Mr Fraser proposed Mr R Craig, and this was seconded by Mr Tapper. There were no other nominations and Mr Tough declared Mr Craig elected. — The Chairman, in re« taming thanks, said that it would be his endeavor, in the course of the deliberations of the conference, to conduct the proceedings with decorum.and he was sure that ia this he would hare the assistance of delegates. Mr A. G. Glass, organising secretary, proceeded to give, at the request of the chairman, an outline of the movement which ended in the Union being formed. TH£ PLATFOKM. The drafting of a platform was thea proceeded with. The platform adopted by the North Island was taken as a basis, and the planks adopted to be subject to revision by the Colonial I Council.

The platform of the Union was submitted to the meeting and was generally approved of until the plank taxation was reached, which runs as follows ; — " That customs taxation should be for the purpose of revenue, and not as a protective tariff to unduly bolster up industries." — The clause oreated some discussion. — Mr Fraser said that the Government last year reduced the duty on kerosene, but the consumers still paid as much for it as ever.— (Voices : " No.") The same thing occurred in regard to tea, but they still paid the same price for it, and the middleman made the extra twopence per 1b which was taken off the duty. At Orepuki a new industry was likely to be strangled OWIOg (Q (jh.9 redaction ia cue duty of kerosene. He did not see why a young country like theirs should not be allowed to frame a tariff to suit themselves. — Mr Dodds did not believe in duties at all.— Mr M'Coli said that the Orepuki Oil Works were purely a speculative concern, and farmers bad nothing to do with them. — The clause was then adopted as read. Cheap loans to farmers was, after some discussion, dropped without any decision being come to. The following rule led to a long discussion: — "That for the better education of the agricultural population, State farms should be directed by an Advising Board of Governors, on whioh the A. and P. Associations and the New Zealand Farmers' Union should have representation."— Mr Tapper said that as far as his knowledge went, state farms were a failure ; be knew of a boy who had been sent from his district to one, and he only learned to smoke and drink While there.— Mr Findlay said he had seen one of the imported shire horses, and raised a hearty laugh by informing the meeting that he would not mate a donkey with him. The horses whioh Mr Gilruth brought out to New Zealand according to Mr J, D. Ormond were worth about £25 apiece. —Mr Fraser said the Government had established poultry farms in various districts and imported horses and bulls, bat this was all done for a purpose : to make the farmers believe they were doing a lot for them. He moved that the clause be amended to include " that a director of agriculture be appointed to manage the College." — Mr Dodds wanted to know if Mr Fraser was not introducing party politics, whereupon the latter said he had no intention of doing 8O. — The Chairman : You are sailing very near the wind. — Mr Borne said that State farms bad been a failure ; the annual reports were most discouraging, and the farms at present in existence were a kind of benevolent institution, to which the hangers-on of the Government were sent. He did not believe in high scientific farming, and could not recall a single instance of a successful scientific farmer ; the " book " man was a failure. — On tho motion of Mr Tapper the clause was adopted. The following rule was discussed at some length :— " That all crown leaseholders (except those under the Land for Settlement Act) have the right to purchase the freehold at any time after the expiry of ten years from the date of lease, such right to be retrospective, provided that the area held by any one person shall comply with the provisions of the Land Aot." — Mr Tapper oonsidered that it was only fair a poor struggling settler should have the righb to a freehold. — Mr Fraser considered the case of the struggling settler would be better met by the deferred payment system which was in force in New Zealand some time ago; it- was the best system ever invented. He knew prosperous settlers to-day who owed their

position to the system he referred to. He proposed that the rule should be amended by the addition of words to the effect that " all arable lands now or hereafter to be disposed of should be dealt with under a system of deferred payment." — Mr M'lntyre pointed out that the system spoken of by Mr Fraser obtained under the present Land Act, ; and it was a very knotty and touchy matter to ask the Government to pass retrospective measures.— Mr M'Artney said he did not see why a settler should have to wait for ten years. Why should he not be able to purchase when he liked P — Mr Glass said fche proviso (10 years) was introduced with a view to , having the land settled and to obviate any chance of a settler purchasing and then clearing out. — Mr M'lntyre moved as an amendment that the words " such right to be retrospective " be expunged.—Seconded by Mr Simmers,— The amendment was lost and the motion was carried.

Mr Allison moved : " That it is desirable that all grain be sold for nett cash, that all bags be paid for, and that the custom of allowing 2£ per cent, discount on wheat sales be abolished." He said that when a farmer paid 6d for his bags and sold his wheat at 2s 6d per bushel, he was really re-selling his new bags for l£d each. — Mr Jas. Ross seconded.— Mr M'lntyre hoped the conference would give the matter its entire approval, as he did not see why the difference in system should exist at all. The bag question had been debated many times, but the farmers were still sitting under it. — Mr Dodds said the cooperative lever would be the best argument that oould be used. — Mr Borrie said peoplo in the north were quite alive to the necessity of a uniform system being established — Mr Blackie referred to a deputation from agricultural societies which waited on the Chamber of Commerce th»-ee years ago. The latter body unanimously agreed that bags should be paid for, and it was Che farmers who were to blame for not enforcing the recommendation. — Mr Allison's motion was carried, and Messrs J. Tough, R. Craig, H. Buckland, Jas. Ross, and Allison were appointed a committee to wait on the Dnnedin Chamber of Commerce.

Mr J. Ross moved that pressure be brought to bear with a view to keeping the size of the sacks the same as that ruling at present. If the 801 b bags were brought in, four extra men would be required when threshing operations were being carried out. —Mr Fraser said that the MiDister of Railways intended introducing legislation to reduce the size of the existing sack, SUC.U being tha case iG was desic&ble tbat repres&utations should immediately be made to check any proposed change in the size. — Mr Milne thought that wheat and linseed sacks should be smaller than oais ; they were a big strain on the men who had to lump them. — Mr Dodds considered that the two bushel sack was quite large enough ; a four bushel sack would not be tolerated in Canada or the United States of America.- Mr Borrie challenged the idea of the Minister of Railways interfering ia the matter at all j he did not see why Mr Ward should step in as arbitrator. — Mr M'Call suggested that the 44-inch big should be the standard size and that the suggestion be embodied ia the motion.— Mr Gillar said that 2001 b was a big enough load for anyone to carry. — The motion was carried, and it was agreed that a copy of the resolution be forwarded to the Minister of Railways immediately.

Mr M'Call moved--" That tha Union endeavor to have hospital and charitable aid rate made a charge on the consolidated revenue of the colony." — Mr Milne seconded the motion. — Mr Fraser said it was the local bodies that supported the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards, and the Government subsidised the ininstitutions. He suggested that the motion should be altered to make it clear that it was the wish of the people that the Government should pay the up-keep of all such institutions. — Mr Milne said that the distribution of charitable moneys were better administered by the local districts ; it was the only way of securing economy to ha.YQ the affairs managed locally. He advised them to keep the control of things as local as possible. — Mr Borrie disagreed with the resolution, and referred to the enormous expenses that would be re* quired to raise funds under the system proposed. He said that one-half of the cost of maintaining the hospital of Dunedin was contributed by that city ; the wealth of the conntry should maintain the poor of the country. Even now the consolidated fund had a great strain on it. — The motion was lost.

Mr M'Call referred to the dissatisfaction which existed in regard to the present system of valuation — almost as soon as a person purchased a piece of land the valuator strolled along and at once commenced enquiries as to length of fencing, ditches, etc., etc., in fact; the harder a man worked on his property the greater the amount of the rates he had to pay. Fifteen shillings per aore was allowed for grass, but this was wholly inadequate for\iven the labor expended in sowing. Mr M'Call deprecated the manner in which valuations were arrived at by unpracticable men, and wished that the Conference should endeavor to have the valuations made by the local bodies and not by a valuation department. — Mr Milne moved : " That all Assessment Courts under the Land and Income Tax Act; should \)Q composed of one Assessor selected by the Government and one by the local bodies within the district, such Assessor to elect an Umpire, whose decision shall be final in all oases where the said Assessors are unable to agree." — Mr A. S. Orbell seconded the motion, which carried.

Mr M'Call mov^d that Mr Hogg's amendment to the Babbit Act be supported, and that the time for trapping and poisoning be left in the bands of the farmers' men to fix. — Mr Patterson said that although he was a farmer he hoped Mr Hogg's motion would never find its way on to the Statutes. Only for the timely interference of the Inspectors, many would virtually allow the oountry to be overrun by the pest. — Mr Fraser objected to the Act as administered at present. It took away the liberty of the British subject. The power given to loopeotora was most arbitrary, but still there were a few who thought that justice would not be done if this oppressive law was not in foroe. — Mr Findlay said he waa in favor of the Inspector being given full power, but objected to the lospeotor being judge and jury.— Mr Tapper said if the power was taken away from the Inspectors and the Act administered looally, it would have no effect. -Mr Milne favored the Aot beiDg administered as at present. — Mr BdOkland said the Aot would be fifty times worse if it was tampered with in the way of fixing the time when trapping should take plaoe. There was only one Inspector, and it was hopeless to expeot that he could obtain a oonviotion if the case was tried on a question of preponderance of evidence. — Mr M'lntyre said that no informations, whioh had come within his notice, had been laid without due cause ; any alteration in the Act, or relaxation of its provisions, would simply be most disastrous to the farmers. He would advise the Conference not to suggest an alteration ; any amendment to the Aot simply meant crucifixion ; in his humble opinion the Aot , should be more stringent.— The motion was 1 lost.

Mr J. Nwton moved : " That the Government be requested to guarantee the weights of grain and produce earned on the railways to be correct. — Seconded by Mr M'lntyre. — Mr Borrie thought the movers of the motion were under a misapprehension ; the Railway Department Bimply weighed the grain to see that they (tha Dept.) were not being cheated by having to aarry over weight, and he instanced the case of wet trucks. — Mr Patterson begged to state that according to Mr Borrie's argument all farmers in Southland were mad. — (Laughter.) For one bag weighed 10,000 were not. — Mr M'Call said a string of truoks were coupled together and run over the weighbridge at suoh a pace that it was almost impossible to arrive at a fair weight.— The motion was lost.

Second Day. On the Conference resuming on Wednesday morning Mr Orbell said that the rabbit question had, he thought, been rather hurriedly dealt with on the previous eveniDg. He begged to move : " That in the interests of the agricultural. and pastoral community it is advisable that such an amendment should be made to the Aot giving disoretionary power to the Magistrate." — Seconded by M* Milne and agreed to. Mr J. Nawton moved : " That it ia desirable that some reduction should be made in railway fares to benefit farmers," In speaking to the motion he said that the " reductions " about whioh a hue and ory were raised were of little consideration. — Mr Dodds considered the line of argument going to be adopted in this question betrayed narrowness. —Mr Fraser said the Government was only gulling the farmers ; at present they were trying to get as maob as they did before, and & little m6i-6. — Motion agreed to. Mr Patterson moved : " That provision relative to Fire Insurance and Elective Land Boards be made." He intended his motion with reference to insurance to oover Mr Fisher's remarks in the House, and the resolution with resp«ot to land boards was similar to that passed by the Taranaki Conference.—The first Beotion of the motion relating to insurance was agreed to, but some discussion ensued on the latter part.— Mr Findlay said he wonld second it as a separata motion.— -Mr Taylor moved as an amendment : " That the ratepayers have representatives on the various land boards of the colony in the proportion of two members to the three nominated by the Government."— Mr Simmers seconded.— Mr Patterson withdrew his motion, and Mr Taylor's motion was carried. Mr Orbell moved , " That as far as possible candidates for House of Representatives represent community of interests to eleotors." Many of the country electorates were by some ingenious method tacked on to the towns. He oon tended that the representative of a farming constituency should be a farming man. — Mr Patterson seconded. Mr Dodds held that a member of Parliament should not be an electoral representative, but a oolonial representative. Mr Fraser said Mr Dodds did not recognise that a member of Parliament oould not be a statesman in this oountry. Motion carried.