THE FARM INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 573, 30 July 1909, Page 10

THE FARM INDUSTRY.

, , ABOVE TUB LAW. A CASE OF GOVERNMENT BLIMNES3. ■;. CO-OriOUATOItS NRARLY 11UI.NK1). A singular sliilo of affairs wim diKcloscJ before tlui Farmers' Union Conference Inst evening by the president (Mr. .).' CI. Wilson), in the.course of sumo remarks nnulu in muving the following motion i~ "That this conference enters its emphatic protest against tho injustices that arc being' perpetrated by tho fjtnltf Coal Department under covor of tlio Crown Suits Act, as instaneo the cases of Barton v. 'J'ho King, and tho Now Zealand Farmers' Co-opoiativo Distributing Co. v. Tho King, in which grievous bodily injury lias been tlono to Vcitizen and serious. daningo to property; and .that ui'gont representations bo made to Parliament to sward fair compensation for loss bus-' taiiietl, and to amend tho ..Crown Suits Act during the coining.session,'in-order to place tho Stato trailing 'enterprises on an equal footing with- private traders in respect, to liability for any acts of damago resulting from such operations." Tho president said that tho Farmers' Distributing Co. took a leaso of premises a short distance'.from tho.Town Hall. Noxt door to thorn was a coal yard, but this 'caused no'nuisance. In' time, however, the Stato Coal Co. took tho'coal yard, and increased it,' and entered into tho screening of coal on a largo scale. They endured this, but in due time had occasion to take.new premises, and they endeavoured to sell their lease. Many persons inspected tho property; but none, would take it. It was discovered: that tho coal nuisance was the. obstacle. The Government 'was approached, but refused to remedy the.-'matter, and : under tho .'.Grown Suits Act' the society is debarred from suing 'tho.- Government. Pressiiro' was, however, brought to boar, ! and about a fortnight beforo ■'■ the election tho Government yielded them tho right to suo by waiving tho protection of the Crown Suits Act. They then sued, and obtained, from , a jury, damages of £205. This showed that they.had good cause at tho' buck, of their-claim; .The Crown, however, refused to-consent' to.' an injunction,- and, although damages" for 'past 'injury,'" were' obtained, tho. Crown ; continued tho injury,' 1 and'th'ero'was. no" further remedy. The;premises were still unoccupied.,. U Mr.-Lane (Hawko's Bay)': It's worthy of Russia,. .. ~. ■; v . Mr, Hunt,. manager of the company, en'dorsed tho president's statement. He said thero had been'hundreds of':possible.tenant's shown - over : the .promises;, but none \' would' take them.': The;company, was' a. syndicate of 1)0.0 small -farmer's,' established, to break up' the 'auctioneers'-rring''•■'■ in ; ' Wellington, and' bring down''commissions. They succeeded in .this,, and hadl saved tho farmers about £5000. in that',way/..:Their loss,' owing to'tho.State-coal-yard; was about' £8000,' and was contihu: ihg at the- i-ato of nh'ouf £8 15s.' 'per' week'.Thoir lease had about fifteen months to.run. If thoir position financially had not been strbiig, : it ''might have. ruined.-them. ',»'.'.' -." Members' of "the conference-declared tho action of tho [Government "blackguardly" and "incredible."f-Referonco was made to the position, taken .up by the Petitions Committee of tho Housej which considered tlio matter, and a demand, was made''for tho.publication of the. name-s.-of. this committee.., , Mr. H.'J. Richards (Levin) said tho company proposed to issuo 20,000 circulars describing -tho, matters to- tho farmers of NewZealand, to the chambers of commerce, the 900 .shareholders, all the business houses, and the noWspapor's'. ; V (Hoar, hear.) ; .A delegate: Send one to Tommy Taylor. : Another'delegate: Send them put just bc- | fore; tho next election!- ''~.; .7 , r.iy. . .' ! : "', Mr. ;D. Jones (Canterbury)'':'lt's-'-a public scandal..'.' : -■:'./,-■■'■■ : : ~ The 'motion},\vas 'passed; unanihioiisly, ...