FARMERS’ UNION.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 389, 14 April 1902, Page 1

FARMERS’ UNION.

On Saturday a committee meeting of tiie Gisborne branch was held. Present : Messrs Jas. Macfariane (Chairman), T. Fraser, D. Morice, S. Liddle, W. Wade, R. M. Birrell (secretary), J. Robson, F. Harris, A. Y. Ross, and W. Bell. The secretary stated that Mr L. Clayton had arranged that the Government Dairy Expert would arrive in Gisborne next Saturday, and they should fix the time and place for meeting him. The secretary of the Farmers’ Union at Auckland intimated that it was proposed to hold a conference in Wellington in June, or in the second week of the session. A bi-annual meeting of the Agricultural Council was to be held in Dunedin, and it would be advisable to hold the conference immediately after that. The Chairman suggested that the notices of motion in hand lie briefly discussed and handed over to the general secretary, to be brought up at the meeting of delegates. Another subject to consider was that of representation. Mr Bell said that a membership limit of 500 would be sufficient in computing othe basis of representation. Mr F. Harris said that it would be a good thing for both districts if Wairoa federated with them. The Chairman caid that it was intended that the rutes should be amended at the conference. Mr S. Liddle moved that the conference be asked to reduce the representation limit to 500.

It was mentioned that at the present time this district would not have any representation, the limit standing at one delegate for a thousand members. The Chairman moved that notices- of motion in his name be forwarded to the Colonial Council for consideration. He said that the existing bylaw- would he in conflict with the present, statutory Taws, and the present branding district extending from the East Cape to Wairoa, if Native Councils were allowed to to create another branding district within the present one, they could take over and duplicate the brands. In regard to the mortgage tax, lie said the present law had p-actically blocked the Borough loan. He did not know why local bodies could not borrow money from lending institutions at the same rate, and without the tax, as when borrowing from the Government. In regard to the motion by Mr Ross for the appointment of one member on the Valuation Court, the Chairman believed that a promise to that effect had already been given. -Members, however, considered that it would he as well to forward the motion for consideration by the council. For the meeting at which Mr Cuddie is to be present, it was decided to obtain use of the Masonic samplcroom, the time of the meeting to be 11 a.m. on Saturday next. _. . On the motion ot Mr Morice, Mr Macfarlane, the President, was elected the representative of the branch oil the Provincial Executive.