FARMERS’ UNION

Hokitika Guardian, 6 October 1932, Page 2

FARMERS’ UNION

QUARTERLY MEETlNGlength^,Business sheet.. - The' quarterly “meeting :the Executive ;of (the »Wcst Qdast bretnoh of the New Union. ;* was lield at Greymouth on Tuesday Mr 4, ‘Bradley lGr6y ; '&srey)'presiding over Messrs. W.Ffehgr, fl;., G, Carter and Ai • Daiiell ; G’Neil '(Kokatahij, L; Pitely'(iith'ura), J/J. McKay (Harihari)* : / ''j;^‘R^ I |(iJotiom'anu) n and E. I. 'Paine (Rotokphu), and th e Secretary, -'Mr W. Baillie. A®.^; apology for absence Malcarel ' 's '-.fy ' ‘g.f 1 J**': Tlie : with regard to the request from tHe Union for additional accommodation at the Kokatahi School. He stated j that a full- report on the matter . had > been received from the Canterbury Education Board and 'he thought that the position at the beginning of 1933 would considerably reliev 6 the .congestion as the raising of . the school age would, have an effect in the infant room and there would also he a 1 crease in the. higher classes. He'Con-, eluded that 'the ' position had. been postponed -until the New Year. ~ Mr O’Neil said that it was most ridiculous ,tihe way the children, were cramped tin. the' infaht. Tbortl, There was a stove in - the centre land while those round it were boiled, those on the outside were freezing, with the result (that th e ohildren continually had colds, The Chairman suggested that, perhaps it would be better for the Kokatahii Branch to put a remit in asking for the •extension ’ of the existing school,,' as there was very littl 6 possibility of getting ,a new school at the. present time# L L-

The discussion was then allowed', to iapse.. . .... ■ . Regarding ithe remit to the. Min’qter of Lands requesting that the Lands

Department should be asked to recognise:, the Union in an advisory capacity when dealing with the..' matter of closer settlement, th e Minister wrote stating that he was unable to accede to the request as the status of the Lands Department was ‘ fixed by Statute. The Chairman said that apparently any collaboration on th 6 question depended on the local office, -which he considered was doing its ‘best in the matter.

Mr McKay suggested that the' remit should be sent on- to th© Dominion Executive asking them tto press .that the members of the Land Board should be elected.

;jpwas decided to urge that two representatives be elected to the Boai-d, one for. those holding .and one for farmers.

I' jihe Minister of Agriculture wrote Ifjicbiing that he regretted that funds could .not b e made available at the present time for the free cartage ot f lime into districts not served by a railway, for example, South Westland, as requested by the Union. Th© letter was received.

•Jl Hotter was also received from the (Minister .<> of Unemployment stating that he would be pleased to arrange for the consideration of the . of Crown lands in ’Westland for the small farm scheme.

The Minister of Unemployment also wrote regarding camps in ithe farming districts • of Westlaild and stilting the Union's hecommendatiolls wO-uld be given consideration.

. (Mr O’Neil said that he was llead to believe the first camp, would be established in KoKatahi. •' Mr barter said that It was a wrong policy; for camps to be established on privat e lands. No money should be spent by paying a fancy price for land. The Government should resume old land. Mr’DaHzell considered that the, dole should be dealt out to the men on Saturday nights. 'Without any work being don 6 for it.

The members of -the Executive were unanimous that Mr DalzeU’s eugges-

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tion. that no work should be done for relief wages was altogether wrong.

Mr ‘Career then moved that it be the expression‘of the opinion of the meeting that they preferred a policy of the development of Crown lands and the conSTnlttion of roads J nto backblock areas rather than the ten acre scheme.

This was seconded by •’ Mr O’Net', and carried.

The Minister of. Mines wrote regarding ;the remit on the compensation for farm lands used for mining and the lifting of th© mining regulations. He stated that the matter had been causing him a great deal of concern. Ah 'investigation .was at present being made by the Agricultural Department of lands at Barrytown and he (the Minister) would be pleased to consider the Union’s, letter before any action was taken.

Mr Carter eaid that personally he wanted to see the Haw amended. Mr Ditely said that what was aimed at was the reclassification of all ..land, with the exemption from mining of first-class land. On the motion of the Chairman and Mr Ryan, it was decided that a Temiit be sent to headquarters that mining regulations. on first and second class land be uplifted. STAMP OFFICE REMOVAL. Mr O’Neil said that there was a movement afoot to have the Stamp Ojlflice removed from Hokitika, and lie thought that it would be one of the biggest detriments to the Cdast. The office did all th© Work of the district, including Greymouth,' and if 'anything was wapted all one had to do was to call on the office, but if it was shifted to Christchurch the Inconvenience would (be increased a thousand-fold. In the matter of time and expense it would be a great loss to the Coast. No doubt retrenchment was necessary in some Government services, hut this was not one. He accordingly moved that an urgent wire be sent to Mr Jas. O’Brien, M.P., and the Minister of Internal Affairs,' asking that the Office be retained.

This was seconded by (Mr Fisher, who said that although he lived near the Nelson boundary he could 'say that the removal of the offices would place a handicap on th 6 commercial and farming communities for a little economy for the Government. ’The motion was carried unanimousiy* REMITS' The following remits were then dealt with:— Ngahere Branch : That the circular of 15-8-32 from the Secretary’s offi 3 regarding the use of the railways, for transporting farmers’ produce be considered. ’ Mr Carter said that the matter had been discussed by his branch and the request from the Department seemed reasonable. He thought that the |least farmers' could do was to send their produce -by rail. •If -farmersthought that they could send large quantities of produce ’away by road transport and get lime back- free on the railway, then ,they ’had a kick coming,

The. chairman said that he thought a resolution should be put on the book* asking the farmers to patronise the always, where possible. Mr Carter, in moving the resolution as suggested, said’ that the railways, were a national concern and should be supported. Air Dalzell seconded the motion, which, was carried..

(2) That rules be adhered to and all remits be forwarded to the Provincial Secretary in time to be circulated to the various branches. Air Carter moved that the remit be sent to the Government, that ‘they be very careful before lifting the embargo on .cattle from affected -countries. This was seconded by Mr Fisher and carried.

Grey Valley Branch : That the Government be requested to' continue for the current year, the subsidy from the petrol tax, giving a rebate of 12-J- per cent, on country rates.

It was’decided to* forward the remit to headquarters. Arahura Branch: That this executive enter an emphatic protest to the Native Trustee, against the excessive cost of native lease renewals in the Arahura district.

Mr Ditely, /in moving the remit, pointed out that the. charges for the renewals were excessive and lie produced a hill showing that- it had cost one farmer £4 10s for his renewal of which £3 had been preparation fee, which was just a copy of the lease taken on a typewriter, about an hour’s work.

Mr Ryan seconded the motion, which was carried.

Harihari Branch: That Mr Jas. O’Brien, Member for Westland, he urged to bring the matter of the La Fontaine Swamp area j before the House, unless the Minister of Lands take action the opening up of the main drains before letting the sections.

Mr McKay said that the position was that the Tetting of the sections was blocked when a protest was made to the Minister of Lands, but since then one had been let to a man who had evidently more influence than lie should have. The Land Board had been expected down to review the whole position, but before they had come, a letter had been received from the Minister, saying that the question whether any more money would he spent on the drains had already been settled, 'file branch wanted the main drains cleared because if the land was let without that being done, the posi•tion would be chaotic. £6,000 had been spent on the drains, but} not a penny on maintenance, and it would be a disgrace if the area was now allowed to fall back into one or two-hands. He accordingly finally moved'the remit. The Commissioner had said that he would let the land at fd ar acre, in 100-acre blocks and at present, it carried no loading at all. The Chairman : It is quite reasonable to Ist them go on the land for nothing, if they are to do the draining. Mr McKay: The Commissioner is the biggest pessimist that ever lived and he wants to get rid of this question. If it is handled right it is going to be the best in the district.

Tin motion was seconded by Mr O’Neil and carried. It was decided to write to Mr Gerald Rea, Ross, congratulating him on his efforts to break in manuka country on thb Ross road.

Mr Ditely said that following the Ottawa Conference, he had heard that there 4 was to he an alteration in the New Zealand tariffs and the question was likely to he very interesting in the House. I Increased tariffs meant in'creased' costs, to he passed on to the farmers, and he would move that. Mr Poison, President of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union and Mr J. O’Brien, M.P., for Westland, he written to, go that the Union could he sure that their representatives would resist any increase in tariffs. Mr Carter said that he was in- favour of tariffs, be ; ng increased against foreign countries. Mr Ditely: If the duties against Britain are reduced, then the local' manufacturers go out. Air Carter: I think if they cannot compete they have every right to go out.

The motion was carried the meeting then terminated.