DAIRY FARMERS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 16 July 1924, Page 8

DAIRY FARMERS.

(I ioni Chiu- Own Correspondent). MEETING AT MANA.IA. A meeting was-, held' in the OddHIU ’• on Saturday u to ht to consider the matter of forining a branch, of the Taranaki Dairy banners’ Union, Mr E. Loim chair man of the Waimate Lounci l presiding. In introducing Mr '■ .Levien, he- said that as Dominion organiser ror the New Zealand Dairy 1 armers Union, Mr Levien would ,no doubt give them information of what was being done in other parts of the' country, and extended to him on bedaff of the dairy farmers of the distiict a hearty welcome. Mr Levien explained the obiects of the union as follows :-To protect and • \ance the interest of dairy farmers: to establish, maintain and extend a •spirit of unity amongst dairy farmersto use every endeavour to,‘by constitutional means, meet anything iiom time to time threatening the welfare o dairy farmers, or the maintaining .of the best markets ami marketing conditions of dairy produce of all oescriptions; to interest itself in all. commercml matters affecting dairy produce of all kinds and tho general farming requisites of dairy farmers; to assist improve and maintain the standard and methods at production, manufacture distribution and sale of all classes- of da,iry produce: to affiliate with unci contribute towards tin? funds of the Dominion Dairy Farmers’ Union (Incorporated) He suggested that the meeting .should join itself into a branch ol the South Taranaki Dairy I'armers’ Inion, which will.be an incorporated society, and will have the contiol.ot its own luntl.s. r .Fiierc were -in existence lour provincial dairy unions— Waikato, Lower Waikato, Wellington, and W air a ran a. In several of these some of the branches had enrolled every daily farmer in their districts, and with LO.Opp Taranaki dairv farmers’ help it would he seen that no reasonable‘object advanced hv the union could bo ignored. Some of the good work already claimed to have been done by the union was the establishment of the Dairy Control Board. In connection with the lower cost of manures, lie read a report of a speech by the Hou. the Minister for Agriculture, wherein was quoted from “Advance,” the official organ of the union, a charge of extremely large profits having been made m one year to balance injudicious expenditure in erecting buildings anti machinery and controlling business in the two previous years, also the exposure or underhand methods in importation aiid sale by manure manufacturers, and the Minister’s determination to insist on an equitable price was largely due to the assistance given him by the union. Regarding cheap money for improvement of farms to enable greater production which it is necessary to obtain, as no more 2s (id per lb butterfat is ever likely, he stated that at the recent Palmerston conference it was decided to support and to press the Parliamentary Committee (which is represented by Reform, Liberal and Labour) to suonort tho proposal of Cabinet to borrow 125,000,000" for advances to settlers, that it lie only devoted to financing actual farmer settlers, not for buildings in cities and villages, and that where a progressivefarmer applied for. a loan the same advance as for a worker should be made. He also referred to what is apparently a dreadful waste. In Taranaki there are 10,000 dairy farmers. He had been informed that herds would average more than 40 cows, but assuming that number, and allowing 25 per cent, for replacement, it meant that 1 300.000 calves would be slaughtered this season in Taranaki alone, and in this island it was nut too much to estimate that one and a half million calves which, if reared for from one to two weeks, would 'return to dairy fanners as many pound's sterling at least. He also went into detail as. to information received regarding weight of veal calves sold at Smitliliekl in the period October to March, but ho|>ed shortly to receive official information from the Meat Control Board or tho High Commissioner, and elaborated tho proposed method of getting claves to freezing works. Besides this, hides,' which in many instances would be

wasted by being badly flayed, etc., so Hint they were not of much value (good ones being estimated to realise this year only 4s) would be of utmost value, as all would be properly treated, and in such quantities that the best market price would lie obtainable. Further, another great help to the dairy indusitry would be made by utilising veils for rennet manufacture. At present many veils are quite unfit for use, as often the calf has not sucked, or it is killed without being bled. Not only should they thus obtain sufficient rennet for their cheese factories, but it would be possible to export instead of import.

After several questions had been answered, and Mr Poison’s attitude to the D.F.U. had been read, it was resolved that in view of the fact that there was a branch of the Farmers’ Union in Manaia it was undesirable to form a branch of the Taranaki Dairy Farmers’ Union. in proposing a vote of thanks to Mr Levien for his able address, the chairman regretted that those present had not taken a broader view, as he felt sure many dairy farmers were working in the dark, and this union was a live one, and needed all to help, and was yorking on good business lines. After the meeting several of those present signified their willingness to join in the event of the South Taranaki Dairy Farmers’ Union being established.