FARMERS' UNION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 346, 18 March 1911, Page 5

FARMERS' UNION.

MEETING (>F EXECUTIVE. ' The ordinary meeting of the Execuitve of tin' Farmers' Fniou was held lon Thursday morning. Present — ! Major .Lusk (chairman). Capt. Colbeck, Messrs J. E. Makgill, J. Hamil- | ton, A. I). Bell, J. Boddie, Duxiield, IR. B. McKenize, and A. Schmidt i (secretary). Railway matters.-—The Waerenga branch wrote requesting that representations should be made to the Railway Department to have a ladies' waiting room arranged at the Waerenga station, and also to have the station connected with the telephone. The Kio Kio branch also requested that representation should be made to the Railway Department to have goods shed accommodation provided for the district. —After discussion Capt. Colbeck suggested that a railway committee be formed to deal with these questions, which were frequently cropping up. With regard to telephone communication it was decided that the Railway and Postal Departments should be written to, urging them to give every facility to the ' outlying districts where tablet stations were, to have telephonic communication established, the Executive having been requested to give assistance in the matter. It was decided also, on the motion of Capt. Colbeck, to set up a committee, consisting of the mover, Mr Makgil) and the secretary to" write to the different branches, in reference to railway matters, and to report to the next meeting. The Government experimental farms as a whole were criticised in somewhat severe terms. Members considered that in many cases they were of no practical use to the farmers, and were carried out in a manner that could never have good results. Major Lusk admitted that he was afraid a good deal of what had been said was true, and he mentioned a case where they couldn't tell the difference between rye grass seed and cocksfoot. This started members retailing experiences, and one stated he once visited a farm and saw a calf being led round on a silver chain. He inquired, and found that the calf was being experimented on as a maize-fed animal. It was then weighed, and the man declared that the calf had gained 2cvvt. in a week. This was amaizng but after some little time it was found that the weight had increased only by 21b. At this stage a shepherd came along, and observed: "Hello, weighing the calf? It ought to weigh well. You stoie a bag of my linseed meal last week." The man in charge denied this, but admitted taking half a sack of the meal. | This for the maize fed calf. The discussion had been raised as to he result of a letter complaining of the methods used on some farms. A good word for the farms was put in by Mr J. Boddie, who, after five or six visits to Moumahaki, believed that good work was done. Members admitted this was the best farm. Continuing. Mr Boddie thought nothing should be done to lead to the Government condemning the farms. Major Lusk replied that there was no intention of doing anything like that at present. The trouble was that the best men were not engaged at the head, and he was in favour of a motion moved by Mr J. E. Makgfll, that the union forward to the other provincial executives for their opinions, as to whether a commission of recognised practical farmers to inquire into the management and practical benefits derived from the Government experimental farms should not be set up. The motion was seconded by Captain j Colbeck and carried, and will be sent to the various provincial executives. It will come forward at the next annual conference of farmers' union as an Auckland remit.