FARMERS’ UNION FINANCE.

Shannon News, 5 July 1921, Page 3

FARMERS’ UNION FINANCE.

THE COLLECTING OF SUBSCRIPTIONS.

A statement was submitted to the Manawatu Sub-Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union meeting at Levin o“ Saturday, which showed that theliabbities amounted to £453 7s 3d, as follows: Owing to Provincial executive £204 18s, due to branches for levies £63 11s 4d, delegates’ expenses 1)36 ,9s 4d. and sundry crpditors £l4B Bs~6d The assets were: Due by Loyalist League £lO 6s 2d, due by Limestone Company £l7 12s, subscriptions due for 1921 £531 15s, and motor car valued at £2OO-total £759 13s 2d; balance of assets over'liabilities £306 5° lid.

The chairman (Mr O. P. Lynch) asked, in view of the position disclosed. what was being done to improve. the finances? Mr J. A. McLea vey had been elected treasurer, - and perhaps he had some views on the matter. Mr Mcl.eavey stated that no money had come in since he had been treasurer. The secretary had written to several of the branches asking them to do their best. Branches were promised 4s in the £ on subscriptions collected to the end of’ July. So far there had been little response. The chapman remarked that, ris branch (Paraparaumu) only had £1 outstanding ;

Mr G. Tully stated that the Levin branch had got several new members of ! late. The secretary and some of the members of the committee had undertaken to collect the subscriptions, and there was every prospect getting a good deal in. J. A. McLeaveyj If we can sell the executive’s car, our indebtedness will only be a little over £IOO. He adde l that the subscriptions owing the executive were over £SOO. The chairman: That can be written down to £4OO. Mr H Bond: To £IOO, I- think. In response to the chairman, the secretary (Mr Moon) stated that the response under the sliding scale had never been -put in. Mr J. A. McLeavey: We must have means of forcing members to pay their subscriptions. Finance was their most important consideration . at the present time, and they must try afijd get in what was owing. The chairman asked what had come in.'under the sliding scale. He added th|t he. was against this form of paying. The Union wanted the full support. o f .. ; the farmers, and to get that a yfiat fate of- subscription should be observed. Mr J A. McLeavey: The' - sliding sc§,le applies to the big man, and I find it is the big man who pays, and it ,had always been so. When the subscription was . only 5s it was the small maT who was the defaulter. He added that the big man should pay moire because he had more business done through the Union. The secretary then produced a return show tog that under the sliding scale £29i 15s was collectable, and £163 15s had come in. Mr .T. A. McLeavey stated that was a justification of the sliding scale. At Mr,’Poison's meeting the question was asked. Why not get more big men in the'Union, as they paid, more? Mr J. V Atkins (Manakau) theiri moved fl at it be a recommendation that the Sliding- sc ale of paying sub scription* with a minimum of £\ be adopted for the coming year. This was seconded by'Mr H. Bond (Ratngiohi). Mr Gower (Foxton) stated that his branch was of opinion that the small man, should not pay the same as the big- man, and supported the sliding scale.

The motion was carried, the chairman being the only dissentient. At a later stage in the meeting, the Finance Committee recommended that in future branches of the Union receive 6s fre'm each £1 of members’ subscriptions received, sub-provincial executive ss. 6d, provincial executive 3s 6d, and the Dominion executive ss. Under this scheme the branches would pay the expenses of delegates to meetings. The recommendation was adopted.