N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 256, 4 May 1910, Page 2

N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

«.. . Te Kuiti Branch. The annual general meeting of the Te Kui i branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union was held on Monday night at Mr Mussen's office. Present —Mr J. Boddie (chairman), Major Lusk, and Messrs R. S. McDonald, P. R. Skelton, McLuckie, Julian, Morrison, Larsen, Moore, Finnis, J. Ormsby, Cashel, Somerville, Munro, W. S. King and N. B. t y\. \ „V,s. i ,v The chairman extended a hearty welcome to the many new members and visitors present. The balance-sheet showed Receipts: On hand April Ist, 1909, £2 8s 2d; subscriptions during year, £3; total, £5 8s 2d. Expenditure: Hire of hall, 10s; stamps, etc., ss; advertising, 255; balance on hand, £3 8s 2d; total, £5 8s 2d. i The chairman said he was glad to welcome the representative from Otorohanga (Mr John Ormsby). The Otorohanga branch was one of the most active and useful branches in the south end of the province, taking practically the place of a Chamber of Commerce or a Borough Council. He regretted the finances wore so poor, and it.was only because of the refusal of thei" active, conscientious secretary, Mr Mussen, to take the honorarium passed to him that the balance in hand was what it was. He had much pleasure in moving the adoption of the treasurer's report. Major Lusk seconded, and the balance-sheet was passed unanimously.

Mr R. M. Somerville said he would like to thank Major Lusk for the work he had done in the district. The chairman said lie had intended to move in this way later in the evening, but would take it now. Major Lusk had been good enough to represent the whole of the branches in this district, and had put in a good deal of time in connection with the work. Major Lusk had been appointed organiser for the district and had done and was doing good work. He had much pleasure in seconding the resolution. The meeting expressed hearty approval of the motion. The election of officers was then proceeded with, with the following result:--President, Major Lusk, proposed by Messrs Boddie and McDonald ; vice-president, Mr R. M. Somerville, proposed by Messrs King and McDonald; secretary and treasurer, Mr H. J. Mussen, proposed by Messrs Boddie and Somerville; delegate to annual conference, ' Mr W. S. King, proposed by Messrs McDonald and Somerville, and described by the. chairman and Major Lusk as a worthy representative of Te Kuiti; auditor, Mr W. S. King, proposed by Messrs Somerville and Major Lusk. Major Lusk then took the chair as new chairman. Grading of Meat. —The Gisberne branch favoured the grading of meat. and asked for support.—The chairman laid the proposal before the meeting and some discussion took place, some deprecating the multiplication of officials, others holding that, as with butter, so with meat, grading would benefit the farmer. The -subject was left in the hands of the delegates to tha conference to deal with. The chairman raised the question of road votes granted for the county, and {he process which had Jed to the district being without apy money to spend pn roads. He would like to propose that where money was granted by the Government it should become available on the work proposed to be done being approved by a competent engineer attached to the county. H the County Council was riot competent to supervise the expenditure what, was the use of having u Council at all? '

Mr Moore thought the idea a good one, but from the silence he thought most present were not much interested in back-block roads. Mr Boddie said there were some things in connection with th<s new scheme of dealing with grants which put him out of humour for Rpeaking on the subject. Some of the grants were miserable in value, and thyrn round-about way of getting approved had to be gone thr.iS - ! a They had been fighting for three months to get, grants passed for use. This was only one of the many aggravations they had to put, up with. A very drastic change would have to be made it the local hoi lien were not to be made a laughing stock. The subject then dropped. The chairman said the Executive had been considering the strengthening of the Farmers' Union, ft, could only be done by increasing the membership and the Executive had been considering the establishment of cooperative stores in country distirels where all a farmer's supplies would be kept; and also which could act as agent for the farmer's produce. ]f farmers supported it, it would succeed. All members of the Union would have some distinctive, advantage in the company. It was not. pn>|used to run in opposition to other store:'. It, was intended to acquire some business already .successful, much in the same way as the Farmers' Co-operative Auctioneering Co. was acquired. It was not boiled to find all the capital necessary. If a business was pur- | chased the owner would be required to 1 take a great part of the value in i shares. There was no intention of I dividing big profits with anyone. § Dividends would be fixed, and earnings i above that would go to benefit" the 1 institution. It would be of advantage: I to the farmers and would help to unite I the farmers together. 1 Mr Moore deprecated the paying of 1 large prices lor goodwill in purchasing H a business. m Mr Boddie said the farmer took up H an entirely different position when he B proposed to buy businesses and sell andß buy commodities. The fanners inH Taranaki had built; up their own froe/.-H ing works, dairying businesses, harnnjH businesses, but this was a ditferentH matter. He could not, see his way loß| support the proposal. ra Mr .). Ormsby thanked the meefingH for the kind remarks made when re-BH fcrring to the Otomhauga hranchJfl They had a strong branch at, Utoro-W hanga but were weak financially, ,'ip'H no great work could lie done willmuwß finance. The subject of creating aitn| interest (o unite (lie fanners was .-MB great one. If they were alive to tbeißn interests they would gain what thcWS wanted. The question of co-operalivJ|B stores was one way, but nienilierSjf should be induced to join the Unioi&n Other Unions were directed ..tb.fi farmer. Co-operative store:; n;e:ufg| a big question, 'nit the subject w:rafl one worthy of consideration. MB . Mr King thought I'i- i|uostion f;gffiH too wide for dealing with. The ('sifßl terbury co-operative concern was IIBH only one of its kind that, ha 1 been §&& success, as far as he knew, in N<'HH Zealand, but no one knew the harSH ships the founders of that, eonlcern b'fffiS gone through in the early da.l» farmers would have to fight capital AhH a big scale if they went, into IhflH No one was so dead to his own i'IUgHH ests as the farmer, and if they coihßß| not establish a strong branch <kf ljf|JP§ Union there, how were they to iymrMn| such a big business as Ibis? illgßHfll The following; now members -viftraM elected :--Messrs V. Lever, McLcckHH Wm. Gadsby, A. I!. Finnis, .S. BHB Finnis, 11. l". Finnis, J'\ Iv. Skolt«ffll W. S. King, A. Julian. hSbh The chairman proposed a hearty vjH| of thanks to the late president (JHB| James Boddie) for the work be fSjBl done for the Ibiion. Mr Munro :HHH onded and (be motion was carißHlß unanimously. filffllll Mr Boddie briefly' returned thanljßMßß The chairman also returned IbaEMtß for his election to the promising to do his best "in his Bhbß and generation." iHSB