NEWS AND NOTES

Press, Volume L, Issue 14976, 25 May 1914, Page 5

NEWS AND NOTES

FARMERS' UNION

SOUTH CANTERBURY BRANCH

(SPECIAL TO ''THE PRESS.")

TIMARU. May 24

At the provincial conference of the Farmers' Union in Timaru yesterdv." tlie president (Mr J. Talbot) said that the domestic help problem was assuming very serious proportions, it being now. found impossible to get girls t;i come out in sufficient numbers from the. Old Country. The Union in South Canterbury had engaged Mrs Hume Lindsay to bring out fifty girls, but it was found impossible to get this number. If help could not he secured for harvest time, tbe re-sult wouki be less grain growing in New "•'calami, avowing to this and the cost and shortage of outside labour on the farm, lie thought it not unlikely that New Zealand would 1 have to depend upon Australia very largely for wheat.and flour in' the future, m which case the people might expect to pay dearly for their bread. Speaking of the Defence Act Mr Talbot suggested that the shirkers shiiald bo allowed to drop out and in roturn for tboir refusal to assume the responsibilities of citizenship, be deprived of tho right to vote and barred from the Civil Service. He thought it would be better if the camps were spread over some months, no that men would not be withdrawn from all the industries of tho country at the same time, thereby causing great inconvenience and considerable dislocation of trade. At the same time be made it clear that the Union was distinctly in favour of military training. Speaking of tho American meat trust Mr Talbot said that their operations in New Zealand wero confined to distribution, and it would be against their interests to discourage production. In his opinion they had nothing to fear from them—at present at all events. If tho trust could gain control of the freezing industry and the shipping, Now Zealand would - probably havo something to fear from them, but they had a long way to go before they could do that. The trust at present was causing increased competition among buyers, and so far from being prejudicial to farmers, this was in their interests, as it meant higher prices for them. There was nothing to fear from the trust at present, and it simply required watching. Referring to money, Mr Talbot said the prospects for cheap money were decidedly better than tliey wero some time ago. Money for mortgages and tbe development of industries was coming*, forward in a satisfactory way. and fairly cheap money seemed likely to obtain. Tbo fact that our exports exceeded our imports Inst year by about three millions had helped tbe position materially.

The election of officers result _c_ as follows : —President, Mr J. Talbot; vice-president. Mr" J. Bitchener; treasurer, Mr G. L. Twentyman; auditor, Mr J. R. .Lack; secretary, Mr A. Thoreau; executive, Messrs J. Henderson (St. Andrews), A. Cleland. G. Cross, J. Henderson (Waimate), H. B. JS. Johnstone, E. Kelland. J. Macau lay. C. N. Orbell, E. Richards, A. Shaw, C. J. Talbot, and J. Withell.