FARMERS' UNION.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 335, 8 February 1902, Page 1

FARMERS' UNION.

IMPORTANT SUBJECTS. j i (By Telegraph—Press Association.) £ Christchurch, last night. Representatives of the Farmers Union ] of the North and South Islands waited on the annual meeting of the Underwriters Association at Wellington on Thursday and placed before them the question of a reduction of the fire rates on farmers buildings. It was stated that several schemes had been submitted, and would have to be taken into consideration unless existing companies saw their way to make a substantial reduction in rates, which the deputation alleged to be too high, and regulated in order to make up for losses by large fires in the cities. The decision of the Association is to be communicated to the representatives in a few days. The representatives also waited on Mr McGowan, an official of the Land Valuation Department, on land valuation matters. Mr McGowan intimated that his endeavor was to make the values of land, as level as possible. If an amendment Bill was brought down he would recommend that one assessor be elected by the local bodies, in a similar manner in which representatives of Harbor and Charitable Aid Boards were re-elected. He could not give rebate on lands the reveuue from which was derived from wool, and which the deputation alleged decreased m value owing to the low prices of wool, ihe only way he could do it would be to revalue the whole district, and he did not think any serious fall in values had yet taken place owing to the low price of wool. He expressed a hope that under the new Valuation Act there would he less friction than under the previous statute.