OTOROHANGA NEWS.

Waipa Post, Volume XII, Issue 943, 18 May 1920, Page 5

OTOROHANGA NEWS.

FARMERS' UNION.

TRENCHANT REMARKS BY THE LATE CHAIRMAN.

A special meeting of the Otorohanga branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union was held on Friday for the purpose, of discussing the advisability or otherwise of severing from the Te Awamutu Sub-Provincial Federation. There was a fair attendance, over which Mr Mcßae presided. Mr Closey, seconded by Mr Bluck, moved that the Otorohanga branch sever from the Te Awamutu SubProvincial Federation, and, speaking to the motion, said that they had been neglected by the Te Awamutu Federation, which had taken their money and given nothing in return. Mr Bluck was of the opinion that none of the sub-provincial federations had proved a success. They had aimed too high and had been too extravagant endeavouring to work on too big a scale. The chairman moved as an amendment that the Otorohanga branch secede from the New Zealand Farmers' Union.

This was seconded pro forma. Speaking to the amendment, the chairman went into the question exhaustively and pointed out from his view the benefit of forming a separate association of their own, as local matters had been neglected by the outside body. He thought that when once they got'an association of their own they might federate with the outside bodies on their own terms.

Mr C. Murphy, speaking to the amendment, said he was quite satis-* fled that they had come there with their minds already made up, and so it was hardly necessary to discuss the question. He would, however, suggest to those present that they should ask themselves what qualifications they had for debating and deciding a question of such importance. In the past members had shown no- ! thing but apathy and carelessness in connection with the affairs of the Union. They had neither attended meetings nor kept their subscriptions paid. He had attended on their behalf meetings of the Sub-Provincial Federation for the past two years, and had time after time come to report to them, but could not get a quorum together. The members had not taken a live interest and attended the monthly meetings. He was prepared to admit that the Te Awamutu sub-provincial body might not perhaps have realised their high hopes, but it had to be remembered that the Te Awamutu Sub-Provincial Federation had not received from them the support it deserved and expected. The difficulty was almost wholly financial, and one of the speakers had said that they could not be expected to send their subscriptions to Te Awamutu and allow that body to dictate* to them as to what they should be allowed to have. The position was that they had agreed to pay a certain fixed sum annually per member to (1) the Dominion executive, (2) to the provincial executive, and (3) to A the sub-provincial executive. Over and above that they had to decide what their local requirements were likely to be, and so if they found themselves short of money it must be only because they had not made the subscription high- enough. The speaker thought their idea of establishing a local independent Farmers' Union was but a "feather in the wind," and a local Union, apart from the Federation, might be likened to a " bottle in the ocean." He still believed that the system of federated branches would provide the necessary support to local qustions to bring them to an issue. Success was impossible without the financial support of the members, and it was well known that their secretary had not been able to get enough money in to carry on, and yet their roll of membership was such that there should have been no difficulty in providing the necessary funds. The amendment was lost, the only supporter being the mover. The original motion was then put and carried, only two votes being recorded against it.

GEMvKAL ITEMS.

The reports of the cases by the rabbit inspectors against W. K. Cardon and C. W. Swainson, of Otorohanga, are unavoidably held over until our next issue.

The New Zealand Dairy Association's factory here is preparing to terminate a most successful season and will close down at the end of the month for the annual repairs, etc. The cream supply has been generous,

and the total output for the season will amount to some 750 tons of butter. This will be hard to bea*t by the smaller factories, rhnmrh local officials expect the Waiuku factory to beat them. Of course, the larger cen-

tres, such as Ngaruawahia and Frankton, lead, and their output is estimated at 2000 tons each for the season.

The want of accommodation for the representatives of the press in the court house at Otorohanga was brought under the notice of Mr Burton, S.M., by the representative of the Waipa Post, who pointed out that two

reporters had to find room at the solicitors' table, while the third had to content himself with' the mantelpiece, for a desk. The pressman said also that the same want prevailed at Te Awamutu. Mr Burton said he sympathised with Mr Aves, and would see that some accommodation in the way of a separate table was provided. In the meantime perhaps the -local clerk of the court might manage find a table. To this the clerk said that it was customary in. Otago for the press to provide what they required in this respect. However, this assention was challenged by the Waipa Post's representative as being absurd.