FARMER'S UNION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 396, 16 September 1911, Page 6

FARMER'S UNION.

OTOROHANGA BRANCH. The ordinary monthly meeting of the above was held on the Sth inst. A good number of members were present considering that this is a very busy time with farmers generally, the month of September being the commencement of the great dairying industry here, as elsewhere throughout the Dominion. Mr R. G. Matthews, the present chairman of the branch, was in the chair. CORRESPONDENCE. From Provincial Secretary, enclosing copy of resolutions passed at the recent Dominion Conference, and asking the Otorohanga branch to give the ! matter careful consideration and to re- ' port results of deliberations. The re- ! solutions are:— (1) That, seeing the j great importance of the dairying in- ! dustry in New Zealand, this confer- j

ence urges dairy companies, A. and P. Associations, and branches of the Union to use every effort to foster and encourage cow-testing. —As members of the Union are largely composed of suppliers to dairy companies and members of A. and P. Associations the branches might be asked to arrange deputations to those bodies to urge the adoption of cow-testing. (2) That branches be urged to experiment with manures, crops and fodders. —In connection with this it might be said that the Minister of Agriculture has intimated that the department will co-operate by supplying manures, seeds, and also supervision, if farmers will undertake to supply the land and labour. (3). That the conference bring under the notice of the Union the question of combines promoted to keep up the price of farmers supplies with a view to suggesting a remedy for same. (4). That the Union appoint a day to be called "Farmers' Union Day," on which sports, picnics, or any other form of amusements may be held in the various districts that will give the farmers, their wives and families, an interest in the Union, thereby increasing its membership. —ln this connection branches are requested to state for the guidance of the Dominion Executive which day they consider best suited for the purpose.

The above resolutions received the unanimous support of the members present, and the secretary was instructed to reply accordingly. A letter was read from Messrs

Mackay and Jones. Te Kuiti, asking for information as to whether they were eligible to join the Otorohanga branch of the Union, which they expressed a desire to do. —Mr Wm. Vicary proposed that Messrs Mackay and Jones be elected members of the Otorohanga branch. This was seconded and the gentlemen named were duly elected.

Mr Nicholson enclosed ods towards the funds of the branch. —Received. From Mr Harold Matthews on Union matters. —Left for the secretary to deal with.

From Provincial Secretary, regarding the protective Customs tariff on articles and good 3 (mentioned; which are further penalised by protection on our railways. —Viewing this position from a farmer's standpoint, to say nothing of the unfairness to all those living in the country, it is thought that all the branches would make direct application to the Minister of Railways and also the country members in Parliament to have their preferential freights removed. Imported timber (if cut in lengths) is carried at a rate and a-half by truck, if not it must go at sawn timber rates, plus half rate extra, notwithstanding the fact that hard timber for fencing purposes is daily getting more scarce and the demand very keen. A proof of this is the Government is using jarrah themselves for railway sleepers, presumably because they cannot get puriri; 2s per hundred feet is the Customs duty, and Australia levies only 6d per hundred feet super, on ours, and it is estimated that ( J0 par cent, of our exported timber goe.s to Australia. Corrugated iron, with £2 per ton proteetive'duty, is also badly penalised on the railways. Owing to the cost of timber farmers are building extensively in iron—lt was hoped by those present that united action by the Union would have the effect of some of these impositions removed. The secretary produced the balancesheet in connection with the ball recently held at Otorohanga under the auspices of this branch. Owing to the extremely wet evening on that occasion the receipts fell short of the expenditure by some £6 odd. The ball j committee (together with a fe\v i

friends) decided to make up file deficiency themselves, cjo that the funds of the branch would not suffer. In connection with this the secretary was instructed lo write to one member of t|ie ball committee asking him to contribute, as all the others had already done so.