THE BUSINESS DEALT WITH

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2835, 28 July 1916, Page 8

THE BUSINESS DEALT WITH

; : .'-:JThe Dominion Conference of the, New -"..'■.'Zealand Farmers' Union was. continued \i v in : ■Wellington yesterday. ■.."•,- The following remits were carried: — •/!-:' Auckland.—"That the members of the ;:'.' ".union be recommended to purchase agriy. ".'cultural implements of British manufacture, and to as far aa. possible trade ;■'.■ "jOnly within the.British Empire or with. -'/""nations closely allied" thereto."., ■■■-„ ■'*;..', Otas&—"That preferential .trade with- ; Empire should.bo : attained by ;.:'•' progressive; :reduotio.n of '..duties'on goods -'."'"■ produced*:within 'the Empire." ./ •*. ■ Otago?-£"Th~at the" Government be asked .:'.-.' :make investigations intothe possibili- .? 7 ties" of utilising waste - timber in the ;; '"manufacture of paper."' ; "•. Pelorus.—"That the Government be Urged to mantain all the main trunk '-:■■s' roads 'out of general revenue, - where set- :■:'■' does not warrant the heavy ex■J'pense of upkeep." ,'■'-. Auckland.—"That the system of '•■'■ .'"''charging extra,, rail freight on certain classes of imported goods be'abolished." ! !;" : -South Canterbury.—"That the action of . £'tailing lambs which have-been imperfectp "•;."■' ly'.emaseulated be-made a breach of the ] ■.■yjj. Stock Act." ;./->-'••'. ' ■■ ;,-.,'• • ..'*•' ■' '•?■ .•VtTo'caT Loans.', : -~ ' '•' ". '■ 1 Y:'.-i Mr.' J. Begg'^Otago;■.■moved:'. "That I-:—, funds' to p"ay for New Zealand's war cx- :'. ■ i. puns.es \ should. be,, raised 'locally by loan, i./.-nnd;taxation"."'- "" ■'"■'".'•' '•" ": ■' ;' .■' '■''.\ ;■'. ~." Messrs. M'Queen (Southland) and J.' -v -, Boddio..(Auckland) opposed the motion. Y'~ .Mr. M'Queen asked wljat was going to ': : j happen'to the'man. who wanted tc- raise ';;,:,. a mortgage. ■ ■ '.;-. '-'•'.'-..' ~ i"' Mri.Boddie: Absolute starvation... ;':;..'.' Miv'Boddie" said'that very 'soon all 5~.,?s ~.,? puV: money woiild.be needed for the de-ki--,veiopment of local works.. A I .'.,'v'i,.' : Mr. Begg replied that,thnt was a selfish '.'.,.-'an'd unpatriotic attitude. .Did not Bri- • -;,.r tain' need her. money/ for .development v'My 'ifterj the war? "We should, do\bur: share-j"'.'-..i in' providing the money needed for the conduct'of the war. )'. ,\ ■ > •:. ; ';}■*!-. The motion was' lost.- ■ ". .-"..'",

s-Y:•','"'..-■■'..' Commandeered Meat, :",,-;•'-.'." .Mr. 3. -Begg (Otago)-moved: \. -.;:-■/; "That the Government .'shall assume YY- »wher'snip'of all. meat-'immediately it is t : '-- put. into the freezer',i 'to qhviato the ;.-■- chances of. moat being thrown back on C';~\ farmers' .hands : when'"the : -present ar--1 .-■"■:■ I'aiigeihent terminates." t ,',':. Mr. W/.'A... Cox (Southland). ..seconded ;fe tho" motion:"Yy- -.-—;■•; yy-" ...... | : '-V i)r.' E.; Campbell (Wanganui) said, the ■-. ■■}'•' .'danger more- apparent than real. •> '"-' It '-was quite obvious: that the. British ;\ .Government -would : need- meat- three r . .-• -''months after:the'war/.' ■.■'..'<■■<■'■. t -Y" -Mr.'A..A. ! Eoss.(Auclcland) said that ii :'•.;•; v;.tho,' Government had, not .'commandeered >'; , '."..the. meat the produce.,would be .lying in ;.'..': store. ■' : _Y.-. .""■■'..'," « ', i' : 'Y : Mr.'E. Maxwell u'aranaki) thought the v ';:'-" meat, producer, might, if the present ar-■:'--rangement stood, be put-in-a disastrous ,':':., position.-Ylf tlie ineat/'was heeded for YY" Imperial purposes, the producer should ). ':-',' not be allowed to suffer! ■■'-. ■•'■■■.,. <;';'' Mr'. Begg -said his contention was-that "■.""'■'■'■ when' the commandeeringoeased the,Gov : i .'■ .crh'ment should take over-all the meat in store. .." ■•V. '■'•'.. • yit' ■ .The voting was:—For the motion, 15; Y.:' against, 2.. ■■'.' '■ ~-'.. : ;", y -_:"■ ...Trade Preference'.' . . .-.V,.„■'.■'■■ Mr. It.''Dunn (Taranaki), moved, and j,.:...;, Mr. :E; '■■ Maxwell' (Taranaki) seconded:r- ---;■ ~.„'"That the principle of preferential trade 5;.,.., within the Empire bereaffirmed." : ;-..;,.,. : The motion was* carried .-without dis-f,--r: cussion. ;.-' • : ; ■ I;. y-'-Y; Embargo' on Hides.i :/Y Mr. E. • Campbell (Wanganui) moved: ■:■ 7v;' "That- this;conference enter its, protest :■ Y' •■'against the action of the 'Government -■'-*; in,taking; 10' per/cent, of the hides.over j 1 ""' 451b5., at lOd. per, lb.', whereas.Hn the ';■ ".':'"■ open market they are worth considerably ; " more. '.The, loss-.''entailed should fail ;';'; upon'the revenue, and not upon the pro- ; I', .ducer."-■.,'-:--- ; " : • •:"■'-;: Mr...Campbell;-explained, the.- position | : ." ■; of the embargo, and said that certain of ';.- wero losing money for the -.";Y benefit of thegeheral taxpayer, and they that, the loss should be borui: :'.,„..!>}■ the State. , Y-.-Y . . Y V '.",," ,7 Mr: E. Maxwell. (Taranaki):'Are :tnej ' ~:„;losing.:for the general -taxpayer?■.'.; Is.'it ! ... .j.nof for a section of the commirnity ? /..:';;, Mr. H. Booth .seconded '.tlieymotion, : -.'..;,. which .was carried. ..-:';' : ;:.,,.'. ..- , Supply and Demand. :y;*', Mr; .T^M'Queeu.(Southland) moved: i : .-'.'" "That this conference .views with''grave ': ." the. continued interference i ' '.by',,'tJie Government.with the. natural :■ (law\ pf'^supply--arid, demand by placing S. —'""'embargo on the exportation of products, :,." "except]'io British; ports, thus' causing in ;:'."■ "•many, cases direct loss to "the primary ", "producer. Farmers are quite.willing to Y.' : 'lallow:'.a- fair portion of their output to :•'.'■'"-be taken for purely jiatriotife, purposes, :. '"but they fear tliat any extra money goes 'J'.';'/.to.swell tne profits of.the middleman"*or - : '" manufacturer." ..,,■', ■ : JjY.Mr-;H, D. Vavasour (Marlborough) sec- | ■•/'. ,ouded the" motion,, which was carried. -, t,'..'., ' Shipping Space for Produce. • :.'-'. Major Lusk (Auckland) moved: "That ~.■ ;■; the allocation of insulated shipping space ■ : ;-• should';-Jje based on the dairy produce ~. ' -an'd;.fafr;stock available in ,the different 1-.; : - "district' ' The mover sa'id that this ' 7" ,was'?,a"', bis grievappe. in the.. Auckland ..'.'district,; through-a faulty system of allo-

cation. ■ The allocation had been maiSe according to. tho.. quantities in store at the end of a previous month. Tliey desired the change indicated in the motion. Mr. .T. M'Queen (Southland) seconded the ntotion, and spoke against' it. The proposal 1 was decisively thrown out.' ■ ■ To Thank the Government. . Mr. G. '.Shear,' (Dunsandot) moved: "That' the Government be thanked for their action in regard to frozen produce, but this conference hopes that more pro-vision-will in future tie made for other farm products.' Mr. D. Jones (North- Canterbury) seconded the motion, which was carried. i Motor Cars and Shipping Space, Mr. A. Mnckay (Marlborough) moved:' "That with a view to conserving freight space and the. financial position of the Dominion during Ino war, the government should place'some restriction oa the importation of luxuries." Mr. Mackay said that ships from tho Pacific "Coast came in loaded'-with motorcars. We were losing' the money, and the United States was benefiting by it. , Mr. E. Maxwell (Tanuiaki) seconded the motion. ' , . ■ ' Mr. T. Moss (Eketahuna) said we had a big field for our produce in. America, and it would be a foolish thing to ask the Government to put-up .a tariff against a country which could easily retaliate. Mr. G. L. Marshall'(Marlon.): You would be barring ships which are taking A>\iv produce away.' Mr. H. v D. _ Vavasour (Marlboroueji): Motor-cars, are'not a luxury 'now. They are a lousiness necessity. .. The, motion' was lost.

Labour Questions. It was resolv..d: "That the conference supports the recommendation of the Arbitration Court' to large employers of labour 'to pay employees a war bonus in preference to any. permanent increases during the war." It was reported that the following resolution was arrived at in committee.. on Wednesday evening:—"That in .the matter of industrial disputes between employers and employees any industry affected shall have the right to have a representative to appear, on its behalf and give evidence at the Arbitration Court before an industrial agreement or award is fixed." - • The cdnferenco decided, too: "That this conference highly appreciates the work which the Government'. has done in bringing domestic servants ; to the Dominion, and trusts that in'.the interests of the hard-working women of New Zealand, and especially rthra wives of the settlers of the baokbkeks, the 'good work will be continued." The Arbitration fjo'urt. Mr., A. Fraser* (Otago)-moved: "That the conference desires that rural indus- ' tries be'excluded from the jurisdiction of the Arbitration-Court." Air. I'raser said tho question was worthy, of serious consideration. Labour agitators were going about seeking to gain their ends, and there,was. a great-danger of the rural industries being damaged., '-Mr. J. Begg (Otago) seconded the motion. ' He thought it would be in the: interests of the rural industries. The men who had most improved their position in recent years'were, the farm labourers and the domestic servants, working without unions. . . The motion was carried. Soldiers' Farms.

. Mr. D. Jones (North' Canterbury} moved: ''That the Government be requested! to. give county councils.- authority to appoint trustees jm each district/; in whose hands farmers could place their, farms to be mana'ge'd or supervised during, their absence at the war." Mr. G. Sheaf (Dunsandel) seconded, and the motion was carried. It was resolved also:f-"That the conference desires to express its sympathy with the efforts of the Discharged Soldiers' Employment Department in finding employment for returned soldiers, and ; will do all possible to employ returned soldiers." \ v Land on the Railway Tracks. ■Major Lusk (Auckland) moved: "That, with, a view to minimising the risk of fires' along railway, lines, and also in assisting production, '.this; conference is of the opinion that while the '.Public AVorks Department, should take the usual width of land for railway construction purposes,.only that portion required for the tracks should, be fenced, the remainder to be 'utilised by farmers." The-idea was ,to prevent fives; keep down the spread of weeds, and use the grass. i ",- '. .The motion was carried. Toll Gates—"An Intolerable Nuisance." " Mr. J. Begg (Otago) moved: "That all toll gates on main roads be' abolished." Toll gates, - Mr." Begg said, were'an expensive means, of getting money, and were an intolerable nuisance'. ', Mr. W. A. Cox (Southland) seconded the motion. Mr. ,E. :Dunn (Taranaki) said tliat Taranaki was badly affected by toll gates. ' One not' go round .. tlie Wuntain without paying 12s. Cd. 'to get through the various' toll gates. ■ The motion was carried'nnanimously. Rural. Telephones and Mails. .-.■Mr.-yj. 1 ; Moss (Eketahuua) moved:—' "That the Post and Telegraph Department be asked to collect telephone subscriptions from individual, subscribers on party lines, instead of appointing one of .the subscribers to collect, as at,present." " -Mr. K. Evans' (North Canterbury) seconded the motion. < . ■ ;'Mr.'. J. Talbot (South Canterbury) asked, if, failing a .collection of fees, the whole of the lines would be cut off.

Sir. Moss: Yes. A Departmental explanation of the I reason for the present system was then read, and the conference decided that the explanation was satisfactory. j It. was resolved, also: '"That the conference recommend the extension of the rural postal delivery, which has been so successfully inaugurated in somo disj triers." , Various Decisions. North Canterbury.—"That this conference is of opinion that the tare of sis . per cent, deducted on frozen meat is excessive, ami that representations should bo made lo the authorities to get it considerably reduced." Otago.—"That the Government instruct tho Board of Trade to propound a practical scheme of through booking for perishable produce by rail and sea." Otago.—"That the Government be urged to get control of guano islands, owing to the high price of fertilisers." Tarauaki.—"That the Stallion Bill, as drawl) up by Dr. Keakes and presented to Parliament ,ba made law." Wellington.—"That auctioneers be ask. Ed to note in their l»oks and in ac< counts rendered to buyers any guarantee given with stock sold by them.". Southland.—"That the Government lie requested to place no embargo on the killing of female stock." Tho conference continued its sitting in committee-last evening, when questions affecting tho progress of the union were discussed. Before rising, the election of officers fo-i the ensuing year was held, and resulted as follows —Dominion president, Sir James G. Wilson (re-elected); vice-presi-dent, Mr. G. W. Lcadley (re-elected) j Advisory Committee, Messrs. A. A. Eoss,' T. Moss, E. A. Campbell, H. D. Vava. sour, G. Sheat, and J. M'Queen; treasurer', Mr. W. J. Birch; secretary, Mr. E.' C. Jack.. ' Tho conference will continue to-day.