N.Z. Farmers' Union.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 10 August 1917, Page 3

N.Z. Farmers' Union.

MANIOTOTO BRANCH. The quarterly meeting on Saturday was held at Ranfurly, and was well attended, those present being—Messrs C. Inder, D. DuncEn, A. White, F. Blakely, W. Mawhinney, T. Lo'wisj G. Mathias, Coram, Lobb, J. w! Blakely, Cromb, W. M. Mawhinney' Packman, G. Botting, W. Hall, J. M'Leod and Armour. In the absence of the president, Mr Inder was vot<=d to the chair on the motion of Messrs Duncan and Coram. Minutes. The minutes of the last quarterly meeting were read, and confirmed on the motion of Messrs Duncan and Lobb

Correspondence. The correspondence was read as follows: Otago Patriotic and General Welfare Association. (Incorporated). The effort made to raise a Urge ' sum of money for the benefit of our j soldiers and their families at the time j of the "Queen Carnival" held in Dunedin in August, 1915, will doubtless be within your recollection. That effort resulted in £104,634 4s 4d being raised, to which has been added I £25,473 8s 4d at the credit of the Un- j conditional Fund, making in al! a total ■ of £130,107 12s Sd. Of that amount' £121,291 15s 6d (less £90,000 invested) has been expended on account of returned soldiers and tbeir farrilies, so the Fund now stands at£9S,Bls 17s 2d. Nearly two years have elapsed since that effort was made and yet there is no clear sign that the War that is now convulsing the world is near an end, indeed the visible indications point to the period of its duration being much prolonged. As a matter of fact, no person living can yet form any idea when the war is likely to terminate. Such being the case, it devolves upon, the people of Otago to face the position squarely, and to ask themsfclves, have either the Government or the people

themselves done their clear duty to our fighting men and their" families? After an experience of their methods since the outbreak of war it can truthfully be affirmed that probably nothing short of a revolution will compel the Government to listen to public opinion about any of the reforms and restrictions that have been urged upon them. Consequently, in the last resort it is incumbent that the people themselves should dip their hands deeply into their pockets in order that the soldiers and their families may be adequately provided for. To this end we are appealing to the people of Otago to join us in One Great and United Effort to raise a sum of not less than £IOO,OOO. Jf we succeed in this effort, which w« shall do if everyone in Otago does his or her duty in th« matter, we shall have at the disposal of the Patriotic Association a sum of £200,000 and the Association will be able to supplement more generously the Government allowances to soldiers and their families. Between 14,000 and 15,000 men ha?e now left Otago for the front and before this year iB out t h e total will have reached 20,000. It will be seen therefore that if the

Fund reaches £200,000 it will only represent £lO per man of the enli-t----ments, which, 3urely we must all agree is a moat insignificant supple-npnt for us to make to the Government grants, but as the allowances to be made to our Boldiers and their families will go on for at least one generation and perhaps for two or more generations, the fund if well invested will be replenished

by accrued interest. We feel that an addition of £IOO,OOO to the present' fund should be the minimum of our aim, and we urge your association to do all that lies in their power to assist us in attaining it. Wa have decided to make this a etraightout appeal for cash donations. We do not want to see any of the people's money frittered away in expenses or in laborious and much wasted efforts to raiie money. In Bnother district la3t month £45,000 was raised by straight out giving, but for a different object, and surely we in Otago, for such a worthy purpose as the needs and welfare of our soldiers and their dependants, will see to it that this appeal does not fail of accomplishment. Trusting to hear from you very soon that your Association is willing to cooperate with us in this new undertaking on behalf of our own soldier lads.

J. J. Clark, Mayor of Dunedin and President of the Association. R. 3. Gray, J. A. Jobnstonß, Chas. Speight, Public Appeal Committee of the Association Dunedin, 20th June, 1917. Mr P. L. Black, the chairman of the branch, wrote as follows: — I was in Dunedin during show week but I did not go to the Farmers' Union Conference, as I had an appointment for 3 o'clock on my own private business which I thought of much more importance. I am sending in my resignation as President of the Maniototo Branch of the Farmers' Union. You will understand the reason as 1 wanted to resign at the last annual meeting, but the meeting was such a fiasco that there waß nothing else to do but carry on. I have reason to believe that both the Vice-presidents stayed away from the meeting intentionally, so as they would not be elected President for the ensuing year, knowing that I was wanting L o be relieved of office. Our four meetings during the year have all been fiascos and the annual one was the worst of them all. C. Inder hasn't thought it worth his while to attend any of them,

and D. Duncan only came in for an; hour or so at the end of the Wedderbarn meeting. If men like these who hold official position* won't take the trouble to attend tbe meetings, they can't expect the ordinary members tv attend. You can communicate with the Vice-presidents about tbe next meeting, as their position is to auto matically fill the place of tbe Prasidentif he dies or resigns. I will not be presant, or at least I don't expect to

be. I have a great amount of sympathy for yon in your endeavour to get out to the meetings, but I am afraid it is hopeless. . The people seem to be quite indifferent about the efforts of the Union to improve their position. In fact the farmer is so well off at present that I am inclined to think he doesn't want any union to look after bis interests. Hoping you will make satisfactory arrangements. In reply to an invitation to Mr Begg, the organiser in Otago for the Efficiency Board, to attend the meeting, the secretary telegraphed: "Mr Begg is in Wellington, and will not return till next week." Regret was expressed that Mr Begg could not attend, a3 his visit was looked forward to with interest. Personal.

Mr Inder vigorously resented the remarks made about him and his colleague in the chairman's letter. He flattered himself he was never a shirker of his public duties. At the conference referred to he sat from 2 o'clock till a quarter past 10 at night, although he had private business to attend to. His attendance at the meetings of the Branch was probably as good as any. (He explained the reason of his absence from the two meetings he had missed). As to sympathy with tbe secretary in not getting the farmers to attend, if the chairman had been there he would alter his opinion. If the farmers were too well off to need assistance, the efforts of the union hud assisted them to that position, but they should remember that those starting had yet to attain to that position, and needed the union to help to safeguard their interests.

Mr D. Duncan explained that he missed one meeting owing to the school teacher asking him to take charge of a boys' shooting match, and the Gimmerburn - Wedderburn shooting match was tbe cause of his being late at the last meeting. Any absence *by him from meetings was not caused from want of interest in tbe union. The Patriotic Fund.

Mr Lobb haviDg asked for a clearer explanation of the request now made, Mr Armour said he thought the object was to get the union branches to put up canvassers for their own particular districts, and to see that no one was left unapproached; and in reply to soma remarks by the chairman be supported one central fund instead of a number of small ones. It was often hard for a soldier to approach the Government, and the Association having no red taps to hamper it, could relieve bis immediate necessities. After further discussion, he moved —That canvassers be appointed in the various districts to assist in raising the £IOO,OOO required by the Oiago Patriotic and Welfare Association.— Seconded by Mr D. Duncan and carried.

There was some little discussion as to whether this effort would overlap the functions of existing associations, and it was explained that it would not. The following canvassers were appointed:— Wedderburn, Messrs Duncan and M'Lennan; Gimmerburn, Armour and W. Davis; Patearoa, J. W. Blakely and W. Hall, jun.; Blackstone Hill, T. Lowis and A. Arthur; Kanfarly. A. Simpson and A. Smith; Naseby and Kyeburn, C. Inder and A. B. Mann; Styx,» P. Aitken and J. Anderson; Hyde, T. Dowling and T. Ramsay; St. Btthans, E. Morgan and J. Beattie; Waipiatß, J. Coram and G. Mathias.

It was decided to try and get th« work completed in a month, and to forward the amounts collected to the secretary of the branch (Mr J. W. Reed) for transmission to Dunodin.

Matbias Shield. It was resolved that Messrs DuDcan, M' LeGnan and R. Shaw be a committee to make all arrangements in connection with the shooting. The President. Mr Duncan moved, and Mr W. M. | Mawhinney seconded—That Mr Chas. I Inder be elected chairman for the remainder of the current year.—Carried. Land for Soldiers. Mr G. Botting voiced a grievance he had with the Land Board and solicited the help of the union. He had applied to the Board to get his present holding made up by a grant of an area from the Kyeburn run. He wanted this for the benefit of hiß son who was a returned soldier. The lad had thrown j up £250 a year to volunteer at bis | country's call. He was wounded in the j chest and now suffers with his lungs and nerves. When applied to the Board said the bov could get land in ! Southland. For many reasons this was quite unsuitable. It meant that when his son was no longer of any use to his country and could not work, he was thrown back on his father's hands. The speaker considered it was a case where the grant he asked for was justifiable. Mr C. Inder said the trouble was the Board had bo many similar cases. On the Kyeburn run they had cut up six or seven sections of from 400 a to 600 a for returned soldiers. Of course the leaseholders got a renewal till the war is over. If ihere were not too many soldiers they could pick the sections, but if th«re were more soldiers than sections there would have to be a ballot. The land surveyed was on the fiat from Harris's to White's road. Mr Botting said no man could live on such areas there.

Tbe general opinion- seemed to be that no land should be dealt with till after the war, and tbe subject dropped. Essential Men. Mr Armour said that the Efficiency Board continually met the statement about the last meo on tbe farm. He thought the time had coma whan tbe Union should urge retaining the essential man—i.e., the all round farm hand and the high country shepherd. A number of members joined in a discussion, but there seemed to be no unanimity of opinion, and the subject tlw dropped. Meat Trust. I On the motion of Messrs . Inder and Blakely, it was resolved that tbe Provincial Executive be requested to keep a careful eye on the operations of the Meat Trust, The meeting concluded by Mr Lobb moving a vote of thanks to the rhair and secretary.