NORTH CANTERBURY FARMERS' 'UNION.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2161, 29 May 1914, Page 10

NORTH CANTERBURY FARMERS' 'UNION.

PRESIDENT SPEAKS PLAINLY. (By Tolezra.t.h.—Press Association. , ! ' '.;; • Chrisichurch,". May 28. ■.. Tlie ennuiil. Provincial Conference of ;ho North Canterbury district of .tho NX Fanners! Uii'ibn opened to-ikiy. The retiring president, Mr. (Ji.lt. EIISOV, in his opeiiiu? address, E.iid that during-! the year a number of new branches had | been formed, and the membership of the union iu North Canterbury had been increased by -116 members, w.hich denoted progress. The speaker impressed upon ilelf gates.the 'importance of the business' in hand, and emphasised tho:definition of "primary _ proilucer.-"-- -who,'-.according to .rrcsident""iliijjoiilwrth,' .'of "Wool-Growers' Asjo'ciatioii'of ','Asije i r;i'ca , ,"Wft's'. the backbone o' , the nation and 'its main Btrcngth. Yet the tendency. of modern legislation was to favour- not' tho primary producer, but the "parasites," or people who existed, on the fruits of primary producers. They had tho primary procluTCrrat' the "head of affairs in the .poniinion to-day.-and tho speaker believed that prosperity would follow to all classes. The distribution of primary produce was-a--question' which affected- the consumer as much as the producer, and there was enormous" waste to" , both under the present-conditions. Sufficient wheat could be Rrown.by.the farmer.and milled by the-miller-for 3d.; but by the time it .went through tho channel of distribution the retail price was Gd. or 7d. Other articles were niade equally costly by having •unnecessary distributing charges,added to them, alid ho felt sure that. by better ,and ntoro up-to-date conditions .the prices of the necessaries of life could be; greatly , ' reduced. ■ .Referring in the late strike the speaker :ommemle(l the labour leaders and orjnnilations who worked for the good of tho class by constitutional and proper methods, but condemned unreservedly the agitators who inflamed the workers'for their , own ends. The thanks of all were due to the men who had opened tho norts-and restored trade and .rioncn to the Dominion iluring therecent troilbles.■ The symnathy of all would go out to the misguided men nnd women who suffered from the bad leadership of foreign agitators and strife'makers.'■ .Tho Farmers'-. Urtion had certfiinlv in=tifiiy! iti , existence bv the prompt: manner in which the brsnehes collected rhnir me-xbers for llii-'putposo of qiiellirxT the rebellion afainst the liamllinp of their produce, and it was epsential that all farmers should be members of their ur.'on f<i? self-protection. • The snenker critinif-?d the TCCpnt Australian ■\Vatefsidc'"Wnrkers- Award, which introduced tho pvinciple "f givint a living wawe for n.V days' work, which would infallibly increase. the cost, of production. Payment for lrafii"j lime was bad for the workers and bad for the State. In conclusion the speaker said that with TO-ii>nl to the principle of co-nnerativn Vinkinj* by which farmers could assist themselves and ench other, if. might be favourable to establish a system on the lines of the French "Credit Foncier.'-