FARMERS' UNION

Evening Star, Issue 19786, 9 February 1928, Page 6

FARMERS' UNION

MEETING OF OTA6O EXECUTIVE The Utngo Provincial Executive of the Now Zealand Fanners’ Union commenced its periodical meeting this morning. Present —Messrs JL M. Reid (chairman), A- C. Leary, J. Christie, J. Clark, J. Howell, R. G. Stiell, J. Preston, C. R. Shcat, F. Waite, M.R., J. D. Revic, M. A. Kinney, and A. Craig The Minister of Agriculture, ini a letter concerning the price of fertilisers, stated that an investigation of the position had been made by the accounting officers of tho Department of industries and Commerce, who reported that the price of 44-46 per cent, superphosphate was £5 12s 7d per ton on truck at H«ii>iby, Burnside, or Invercargill, and that in their opinion neither tho manufacturers’ profit nor the merchants’ margin could be said to be unreasonably high. Circumstances, therefore, did not appear to justify any special action on the part of tho Government.—Received. Tho Minister of Public Work's wrote concerning the suggested third party insurance for motorists. Ho stated that the proposals regarding this system were already receiving the Government’s careful consideration. Received.

In connection with the apportionment of the petrol tax, the Minister of Public Works wrote lo the effect; that there was no intention cf altering the allocation to towns and boroughs of over 6,000 inhabitants, cr to depart in any way from the provisions of the Bill. Similar representations to that of the Farmers’ Union regarding the allocation between the North and South Islands on the basis of the number of motor vehicles in each island had also been made by other local bodies, anti this aspect of the matter was already receiving consideration.—Received. WOOL-CLASSING SCHEME.

Mr Preston submitted a scheme for selling wool according to a central grading system. In making suggestions he stated that each province or suitable area should forward all wool lo one centre, and when wool was received in a central store it should then be sorted into its proper counts. The wool could then be sold according to count and grade in the same manner as butter or meat was sold to-day. The benefits accruing from this form of marketing would include paying in handling to agents. Also, a.s expert graders or sorters would do all the work they would not require big staffs. Nor would they require stores for selling, because the buyers would need to see only samples of different grades. Another benefit was that the scheme would pay farmers, who would not require to employ classers. Moreover, the returns would be better because, if wool were sorted ready for spinning every part of the fleece would go into the grade it was suited for. The result of wool being handled in this way would raise the general level of the wool right through the country. However, the matter would have to he looked into more closely. On the motion of Mr Stiell, it was resolved that the question neceiva fur-