CONFERENCE OF FARMERS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24896, 8 June 1946, Page 8

CONFERENCE OF FARMERS

SECTIONAL REPORTS PRESENTED

Grave concern at the'world shortage of food was expressed by Mr G. C. Warren, chairman of the agricultural section, when the annual meeting of the North Canterbury district Federated Farmers was held yesterday. In presenting the report on his section’s work, Mr Warren said that representation after representation on the problem of wheatgrowing had been sent forward, but no satisfaction had been obtained. It was unfortunate that a food shortage should take place in the same year as an election. He felt that the election was being given more prominence than the food shortage. Referring to the dispute regarding the location of the seed testing station, Mr Warren said that thev were Petting kick after kick every day. “We are not going to let up, however,” he said, “and we will leave no stone unturned to secure justice. If necessary, we will make it an election issue.”

Reference to the dispute over container charges was made by Mr M. M. Montgomery, chairman of the commercial gardeners’ • section. "All through the years we have been bled. We maintain that as producers we have the right to be paid for containers. Every effort should be made to get 100 per cent, membership,” he said. In the container dispute a few persons had gone behind their backs and sold to the shops. It needed only a few on the outside to break down any organisation; absolute unity was required.

Reports were also presented by Mr I. L. M. Coop (chairman, meat and wool section) and Mr A. E. Payne (chairman, dairy section).

Mr J. R. Dench, president of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. Mr W. A. Bascand. president of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association, Mrs I. L. M. Coop. Dominion viceoresident of the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union, and Mrs G. W. Fairweather, provincial president of the division, were welcomed to the conference.

Officers were elected as follows: president. Mr K. W. J. Hall; vice-pre-sidents. Messrs J. W. Earl and R. Bethell: secretary-treasurer. Mr A. E. G. Lyttle: delegates to Dominion conference. Messrs Hall. G. H. Grigg. R. Pethell, and W. J. Earl: delegates to Group Four, the nresident. vice-oresi-dents, and the four chairmen of sections. REPLY TO MR MONTGOMERY In reply to the statement made by Mr M. M. Montgomery at the meeting of Federated Farmers yesterday, the executive of the Canterbury Retail Fruiterers’ Association made the following statement last evening:—“We consider that it is time the grower realised that he must stand the cost of containers in which he markets his goods. The same applies to the retailers as they have to stand the cost of bags and wrapping paper in supplying goods to the public. The retailers consider it unfair that they have to pay for the containers in which they purchase their goods at the market, and also pay the cost of containers in marketing their own goods to the public.”

Tunnel Road Length.— The plan for the traffic tunnel between Heathcote 6500 f yt t elton Provides for a length of

Handling of Lime.— lmproved methods for the bulk handling of lime were urged in a remit passed at the annual conference yesterday of Federated Farmers. North Canterbury district. The remit proposed that the Hanways Department be aoproached on the question. Mr J. w. Earl stated that the department was going to have a bulk store st Ashburton as an experiment. The bulk distribution of lime was coming.