FARMERS’ UNION

Waipa Post, Volume 45, Issue 3211, 2 August 1932, Page 5

FARMERS’ UNION

TE AWIAMUTU BRANCH.

GENERAL BUSINESS DEALT WITH,

• The monthly meeting of Te Awamutu branch. of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union was held on Saturday morning, the president (Mr G. T. Crawley) occupying the chair. The Director-General of Agriculture wrote re damage .done by the grass grub, and stating that Tor some time past the Department had been carrying on experimental work in the hope of discovering some efficacious practical means of control. *" I regret to say, however, that the results so far obtained have not been encouraging, and my officers advise that, apart from regular fertilising, feeding out on infested areas to assist* consolidation, and the introduction' of seed in the late autumn, little can be done to control thejpest, which usually passes away after the second year.”—Received. The Minister of Justice acknowledged receipt of the Branch’s resolution urging the desirability of restricting the areas in the proposed Waikeria block sub-division to approximately fifty acres, and said the arrangements for sub-dividing the land to be ciit up were in the hands of the Lands Department, and the re. presentations had therefore Teen forwarded to the Minister of Lands. A later letter from the same source stated that the Minister of Lands reV ported that the present sub-division was considered to be the most practical and the best possible sub-division of the ground for dairy farm purposes, as full advantage had to be taken of water supply and other natural features to ensure that each section would be sufficient to support a man and his family. Mr Wyllie commented that, the area sub-divided had been cut into five farms, and, though he considered the quality of the land would have provided useful farms of about fifty acres, the divisions made were reasonably satisfactory, considering the V topography of the locality. He urged that in view of the large number of applications for the five sections the Minister of Lands be asked to make a further area available for closer settlement as soon as possible. Agreed to. The chairman reported that at a public meeting in Te Awamutu during the month it was decided to form a Protection League, and a provisional committee had been appointed to advance the project. Mr A. Hanna reported having attended a meeting of the special subcommittee appointed at a recent public meeting to further the project of securing suitable youths for instruction at Flock House. The sub-com-mittee had been strengthened by the addition of Messrs A. S. Wyllie, L. G. Armstrong. and A. J: Shepherd. He then quoted the latest correspondence from the Auckland Provincial Patriotic and War Relief Association, and he also read circular No. 7 issued by the Central Committee, Wellington, dealing: with the same subject. Mr Hanna said tfmre had been, genf eral approval of the Auckland War Relief Association’s decision to provide the money needed for equipping and preparing selected boys. He asked members to do their best to get applicants from Te Awamutu and the neighbouring districts. The boys must be sons of soldiers killed in action or disabled by war service, whose fathers were domiciled in the province when they enlisted. There would be nineteen hoys selected from the province. Members fully approved the plan, but it was remarked that there were probably few qualified lads available. The delegates to the sub-provincxai executives’ last meeting reported on the principal items of business dealt , with. The members’ library rules were V considered, with a view to amendment, but after consideration it was decided not to make any charge at present. MJany members did not realise that they could obtain any books from the library free of cost, if ap- - plied for through the delegates. The supply of books was constantly: being added to. Te Rowhai’s remit that the funds set aside for fostering and providing for a provincial organisation in the Waikato be retained intact had brought the reply that there was no intention at present to utilise or interfere with that fund. The executive had supported the project for establishing an open forum at Hamilton. The ten-acre plan of the Unemployment Board was condemned as doomed to failure. . v Mr J. Lyons, director of the LiveW s tock Division, Department of Agriculture, wrote with reference to the branch’s inquiry re utilising a dye with sodium chlorate in' order to avoid soraying of the plants a second-time. He said: “If sufficient slaked lime is added to the water to make it take on a milky colour, the solution, when applied can be easily distinguished. The lime does not interfere with the action of the chlorate.” • The Minister of Employment wrote re the two remits forwarded by the branch* “ With reference to the point raised as to the apparent inadequacy S sections of ten acres I have to say that the plan does not end at this noint In every possiblejeaseThe Department of Agriculture is arranging with the owners for the option over adioining areas, so that at later and more- opportune times the ten-acre * sections can be extended. I note the opinion also expressed remit, but I sincerely hdye and KTlieve that we can take, the hopetul view that the farming industry will not continue to suffer the difficult com ditions now prevailing. Further, w can look forward to a future for th ten-acre plan just as we can to a future for those who are already m the industry. I hope that upon reflection you will fully appreciate thei ne cessity for some plan such as that dpvised, and that there are conditions attaching to it not only from the point view of the selected relief worker -laced on a section, but also_to the district where he is placed and to the country:generally. I am glad to have vour views on this question; a£d although a much more favourable reception of the plan has been received

from many other authorities also in a position to judge the known conditions and the possibilities of the plan, the representations which you have made will be given every consideration.”

Mr A. S. Wyllie, who has been acting as honorary treasurer in recent months, gave a concise statement of the financial position.—Approved. The chairman "sa’d Mr Hodgson had been in communication with a view to obtaining an address on the pig industry by Mr Pierson, of the Pigrecording Club at Hamilton. No definite date had been arranged yet.— Members approved, and expressed a preference for an addrss at Te Awamutu in the afternoon and at Pukeatua in the evening. Mr Butterworth urged that arby the Hamilton representative of the rangements be made for an address Challenge Phosphate Company on pasture control and grass-land and lucerne management. He thought farmers should be keenly interested in the best methods of dairy farming. It was-suggested that the two lec--1 tures could be given in the one afternoon, and the secretary will endeavour to arrange it.