Farmers' Union.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 357, 10 April 1908, Page 3

Farmers' Union.

AWAROa BRANCH. A meeting was held on April 3rd, Mr A. W. Babbage being in the chair, to consider thinks fur the Provincial Conference, when the following were * formulated (1) That the Roads Department furnieh tin iccoant showing bow the loading for roads on bush lands has been spent, so that settlers may have come idea of what becomes of the money on which they are paying interest.

(2) That the Government amend the Arbitration and Conciliation Act so that at least 60 per cent of the employees of an industry must be members of a Union before that Union has power to cite the employers to appear before an Industrial Court; That the Farmers* Union ask all candidates for Parliament before next election if they will pledge themselves to tay and io amend the Act and farmers be asked to vote only for candidates that will give such a pledge. (8) That all seed merchants quote O' ekefoot and rye«grass at per pound, instead of per bushel, as there is no Uniform weight for a bushel. In moving the second remit, the Chairman said that as the Act is at present, an agitator can go round, and get seven men to form a Union, aud cite the employers U) appear before the Court. One thing they asked was that Jireference be given to Unionists, thus orcing all other workers in that em ploy men t to join the Union, whether they wished it or not. In the farm labourers dispute, they were a.-king for preference for Unionises, which wuld mean that a farmer cannot get bis neighbour or even bis son to help him unless they belong to the Union, if there is a Unionist about. They rlha asked that ail contracting be done awi.y with. These were serious matters for •he farmer, and more especially the bush farmer. A ieiier was read from ’be Pr vid dial Secretary, saying that the Uni<> would do all they could t *g*t the G comment to form the io de. It was resolved—“ Tout the dnver ment be urged to chid piece <be tbr> miles of road to connect the Awar... Mahoe and Maboe rowd-, to give accer to the railway, a* pn mised ly Mr M‘ Nab when in Kawbia, as altbougi £5OO was voted <-n tbe la-t Estimo'e*. ye« ihere set m< d io bn n > money i hbbd io con nue Li.- vciy i>tcet-ra>' Work.”

( Tbe matter of connecting the vari ous settlers and the store at Hauturu by telephone was brought up and i> waa decided to ask the Government for all particulars as too st of instrument, etc., and to at-klbe Oparau settlers f >r ► full particulars as to cost, ere , of tbe line they are erecting.