FARMERS' UNION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 303, 18 September 1919, Page 8

FARMERS' UNION

PROCEEDINGS f•• NATIVE AND UNOCCUPIED |V' V ■■■■ ■' LAND. i ■'. The conference of the New Zealand Partners' Union was continued yesterday, 'tha president (Sir James Wilson) occupying .the clin ir. |; : Mr. W. D. Lysnar (Auckland) moved: !. "TJiat the Government bq urged to deal «at oiice with all unoccupiea Crown and ('JNative lands, as they aro a source of fdanger to neighbouring occupiers by fostering noxious weeds and rabbits, (a) iThat the Natives be encouraged to 9111Ltivtite their remaining land by extending Ho theiin the ndvantago of loans under the '•'Advances to Settlers Act on tc-nns and similar to the advances made ;to European settlers, nud that land hckl BiiJder Native freehold title be accepted fas/sufficient security, (b) That practical farmers be appointed as instructors and paid by the State. They shall travel throush defined districts giving advice in Ipractical fanning, and when necessary irecominend advances and supervise the eiipeuditure." I Mr. P. Keegan (Auckland) seconded t:io bemit. and said that if Natives had a [fair- chance they would turn out, to be .as good farmers as Europeans. , ■ j_:?ilr.'K.Dunn (Tnranaki) supported the riremit, and ■vrns granted permission to [couple with it, a resolution froni this i'iihion x that the'attention of the G-oyerri-jnient be drawn to the need of something, [being done to help and induce the N«'tives' to farm and incredse production ion their : lands. '• '■.'■" Both remits were carried. ■ .

!•■.'.'Tlio'Jlnokiland TJninn nls(() prnnosfd that '.the Native land lawsTx; consolidated, and (so remodelled to prevent the retarding !of production, and the.proper ro.ittlni; 'and. railing of the country, and for the icheclinj; of pum"y spsculativo dealing in (Native lands. The remit further, suggE.st:ed that where.' the- Crown has to take, [find construct roads, or construct roads 'already proclaimed, or reserved through jl.nnds which .ire blocking the proper <iejvclopment of the country, such land 3 iehotild, hi enarged with, their fair proiportioris of sucii wk, according to the Inenefif. derived, in the same manner in jif. such: expenditure 'had Tjocn liiade by hvay : .of a. loan to a Native Land Board, cr a focal bod)-, -\yiili provision for. recovery,: of. , the., interest and sinking fund Ichargesjf need be, us in the <Ase of local -liody rates; or foe. the liquidation uf ithese cliargps 'if allowed to accrue, with jcompound interest thereun, before an alienation of such lands can be effected. ■ "'l.'iio Tomic was adopted. . 'f Upon the motion of the Aueb'and Union Jthe'iConfe-rence decided to urgo the Gov'emment to acquire and open up Native ilaml in the'.Urowera Country at the 'earliest possible moment, f'On behalf of the Hawlce's Bay. Union, ■Mir.'Jr.'H;-:.MI moved: "That the timo has arrived when Native lands'served b> piafis,'or'.railways, held by Natives. felionld p.iy th? same ta.te3 as Rind held .% Europeans." , t Thtf-i'emif'was carried.

y-< ~ Commandeer of Produce. ! : . .Toe' , Auckland Union submitted the folIpwing. remit..dcsling with the produce tlio New Zealand jGqyejnment jbe ursed to determine the commandeering of New Zealand produce iat as early a dnte ns possible, so as to tacvent manufacturers und profiteers ■ from exploiting the producers and consumers.Vc f< Iriimoving theOcmit, Mr. W. D. Lysiinr 'fAucldand) said that restrictions on Home-produced wool and meat were be-. jihg,lor had. been, removed. For thai reason he held that the commandeer of New. Zealand^ produce should now cease. iWhife the farmer had benn compelled ;to'take fixed prices for wool, the .manufacturers of cloth wf-rn making husro profits. The shipping difficulty was being eccentuatod V the commandeer. If the producer, bank, and shipping interests were concerned in seeing that the comSuarideer w,i<> removed more ships would Jbocome available to lift the Dominion's TJToduce. The' producer,.? were losing milJions a year, arid for whoso interims? £Fnbse< of the profiteers. It was not Britdeh fairnlay to allow the farmers only '4M. a lb. for meat' which could aftcrwvrdg'be sold in England for 2s. 2d. a Mi. !• Discussion of the- remit was postponed. Spending .completion of .conference with .; ithe.Sheep Owners' federation. j ; :'.'■ Various Resolutions. D. Jones (North Canterbury) irinved: "That where the price of raw products is fixed, the price of articles niamifactured therefrom should be aCso fixed." , ' t.-Jlr./W. J. Birch (Marton) suggested that the remit be worded as follows:— f'That the 'conference is opposed io all fixing of prices, but where the prices of raw materials are fixed the prices of articles manufactured therefrom should klso he fixed." t The remit was adopted in the form proposed by Mr. Bircn. f;.;Mf.' Hi D. Vavasour (Marlborough) moved: "That full information of wool sales on tho English market shall be published monthly, by the High' Commissioner tor New- Zealand." ■■ .The ■ farmer should to-day, said Mr. vavasour, be furnished with ,the information -they used, to get before, tho comWandeer. I'; The rnmit wa.4 carried. • The following remits were also adopted:— ' "That tho Government bo urged to include in tho 'Repatriation scheme the amount of consideration due by the Stato to men who had spent orily one or two pionths in camp, and where then dlsihnrged for a pre-war disability after they had sacrificed or sold their business )r farm to go intoc:ilup."- J -(J[arlb6rough.) ■ "That this union strongly protests i'gflinst the practice of the Public Trust Office in, imposing 9 penalty of' thrpo months? interest, irrespective of any notice given, on ail sums repaid on a loan prior to its maturity, and that the (Governinent be requested to at once do awa.v With'this exaction as bain;, , extortionate." [-(.Nariboro'ugh.) - ? "That the attention of the Minister of Finance ba called to tho present unsatisfactory matters in connection with Slato anil private money-lending institutions. That where security is good the State should provide money at reasonable raten for farmers' needs, and- should restore the table system of mortgage, and provide in every mortgage covenant for payment of sums before duo date, without , forfeiture of interest."—(WeKington.) I "That tho Government: be urged to vote large sums of money to tho Advances to Seftiers' Department, so that all farmers may have the facilities to bring their liddings to the highest degree of efficiency!'and thus increase production." 'Auckland.) . ; "This conference moat emphatically protests ag-ninst tho Government's continued Interference!'with prices, either directly or indirectly, now that hostilities have WH-d.'VfAuekland.) i The conference adjourned till to-day.