FEDERATED FARMERS

Chronicle (Levin), 7 May 1946, Page 4

FEDERATED FARMERS

PKOVINCIAL MEETING IIELD The executive of the Wellington Central provincial district of Federated Farmers met at Marton on Monday, | Mr. D. G-. Giordon (president) iagIn regard to the North Island Hill Country Committee, VI r. L. Hammond reported that at a recent meeting of . the hominion "Meat and WooT Produce Council, it was agreed to admit representation- of the committee as a subsection. The proposed commission on slieep farming was diseussed and it was resolved to recommend to the Government that the personnel of the commission should be made up of hill country farmers and not entirely of Government oliieials and provision be made for the inclusion of a fat lainb producer. This was considered desirable as the fat lamb producer used the ewes raised on the hill country and hill country farmers were more familiar with the conditions under which they j farmed than others not possessing any practical experienee. I Jlr, Ct. L. hlarshall intimated that the Government had decujed to conduct an experiment on .1200 hcres of slieep sick country by distributing fertiliser per aeroplane. with the idea of treating the' country to v eliminate its pasture trouble. If this should prove successful then no time should be lost. in developing the spreading of super on all hill .country. The experiment no doubt would be watched with considerable interest by hill country farmers. Mr. Hammond^, stated that the Doliiinion Council would be watching the position and he agreed that if the ex- ! periment proved successful, it would i prove a boon to the hill country man to i have fertiliser spread by aeroplane. It was reported that arrangements j were in hand for M r. II. E. Blyde, of j the Dominion executive of the Farmers' Union, to speak at Marton at an ! early date.' | Dealing with the development of the | organisation of Federated Farmers and ! the enlargemenl of head office staff, I Mr. Hammond said that if everything j that had been asked for was to be ful- ; iilled then the existing subscription ; woukl not be suffieient to meet the in- | creased costs. After a diseussion the | meeting decided to reaffirm the prin- ; ciple of a levy on produce with autoi matic meinbership as the best means of I linanciug the new organisation and also | to recommend tliat the Hominion Counj cil of Federated Farmers arrange for ' the newly appointed economist to prej pare a statement rplative to the levy i required should it be' -decided to finance j the organistition by this means. j The matter of provincial representaj tion on the Hominion Council of Fedj erated Farmers was considered when a ! letter from the Manawatu provincial j executive suggested that representaaon should be 011 a meinbership, instcad of a provincial, basis. It was agreed to support this proposal. In regard to the action taken by rural mail deiivery operators for the elimin- ! ation of -Saturday ' rui'iiing, the proj vincial secretary repiuted that the j Postal Hepartment had indicated that j it would not oxipose tlus» course and thc matter was now oue for the^Transport Licensing Authority to decide on its merita, lle said that interestgd settlers could object but to carry the objection it would be necessary for them to attend sittings of the Licensing Authority and tender evidence against the eliminatipn of Saturday serviees. Mr. F. Eglinton pointed out that if the j mail running were cut out settlers j would have to go without their newsJ papers, and he hoped this aspect of the j position had not been lost sight of. The meeting decided that it was now a matter for individual district's to act if they so desired. The president referred to the suceess which had attended Mr. S. S. Timbs' advocacy for refornis in the processing of meat for export, stating that. .Mr. Timbs had been battling away for years on this important subject and now had won out. He felt that Mr. Timbs was deserving of congratulation for the suceess of his eiforts. Mr. G. L. Marshall supported Mr. Gordon 'and the meeting Carried a resolution reeording its congratulations to Mr. Timbs, who is a master butcher residing in Wanganui. ' Mr. Hammond reported briefly on the meeting of the Hominion Meat and Wool Produce Council held in Wellington recently when it was agreed to proceed with an application to the Governrnent for an increase in meat prices.