N.Z. FARMERS’ UNION.

Shannon News, 11 May 1928, Page 3

N.Z. FARMERS’ UNION.

MEETING OF MANAWATU PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE.

The Manawatu provincial executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union met in Levin on Saturday when there were present: Messrs O. P. Lynch (chairman), A. G. Dear, B. G. Gower, 11. Denton, H. J. McLeavey, J. Gloyn, J. A. McLeavey, J. T. Kent, C. P. Jensen, 11. Bond, A. McLeavey and E. N. Budden (secretary). Colonel Pow (Dominion secretary), was also in attendance.

NOXIOUS WEEDS INSPECTION.; Mr 11. Bond suggested that, in addition to the remit already drafted in connection with the rabbit inspectors taking up the duties of noxious, weeds inspectors, the Government should be asked to grant an extra subsidy to rabbit boards to re-imburse the inspectors for the extra duties entailed. The motion was seconded by Mr J. Glovn and carried. ' POLITICAL ACTION.

The president pointed out that at the March meeting onb of the members wished to move a motion regarding political action, but as this particular matter Was still under discussion by the Dominion executive, he refused to accept the motion and was surprised to ; see that it appeared in the minutes as having been carried, The meeting decided that the minute be expunged. 'J REPRESENTATION OF Mr Jensen was present to represent the Te Ho,ro branch, but the president pointed out that * this was not quite regular according to the rules. The resignation of a member of the executive should be sent to the executive, and not to the branch. It w r as, however, in order for a branch to send a representative to deal with any particular matter, but he w’ould have no vote on the executive. The union was in a different position to-day from wliat it was in ten years ago, and in another ten years there would not be a farmer in New’ Zealand who was not a member of the union, particularly as the funds ( of the union were now in such a prosperous condition,. CONTENTIOUS ORDER SYSTEM. Colonel Pow explained that he had come up specially to probe into the order system. From the beginning up till 1926 he had manipulated the affair himself, but it became too big then and he had to engage the services of a girl. She had w(irked well under his supervision and everything went all right till she had t<y start the North Taranaki division in October. There were two batches of orders from ManaHvatu, and the second lot of these had been i put away in the strongroom and overlooked. The existence of these ( second 80 orders was unknown to him, and it was only when he made an investigation that he., found that 80 had not been presented, while others had been duplicated. ..There had been no difficulty in any other district but this, and the reason was the overlooking of the second ‘batch of orders. It was no use putting them in in March,. so they were ptft in at what was' considered a more convenient time, and that was why 80 members werev drawn upon, for £2 in the one year. He had since seen many of these members, and the majority ware satisfied with the oxjilanation. Coh Pow added that it was no use branches asking that \the handling o ’ these orders should be entrusted to the. provincial secretaries, as the Dominion executive would not stand for it. In sdme cases it had been difficult to go. the commercial firms to deal with these orders, but a personal interview with the general managers had overcome the difficulty and all was now in order. AMr Denton pointed out that on one occasion the Levin; brandh, with 100 members was only able to show thiee on the balance sheet, and this was ridiTHE BEST) TIME FOR DEMANDS. Mr Bond contended that orders should be presented in the flush of the season, and not when the farmer was borrowing money to carry on. “You can t expect a man to borrow money to join a union,” he remarked. . ■ Mr H. J. McLeavey considered that the orders should be presented in January,' as April was about the worst month in the year. Col. Pow: But I’ve paid more money into the bank in April than in any other month. , Mr Lynch explained that some members asked to have their orders presented to the mercantile firms in November, as the wool cheques were being paid from then until April. After a good discussion, it was agreed that all orders on mercantile firms would be presented at the end of October and on dairy companies at the end of December; and a hearty vote of thanks was passed to Col. Pow for his explanation. ' ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The election of officers was thenproceeded with, and resulted as follows President, Mr O. P. Lynch; vice-presidents, Messrs J. Balsillie, J. A. McLeavey, H. Denton and B. G. Gower; treasurer, Mr 11. Bond; committee, Messrs A. G. Dear, B. G. Gower, 11. J. McLeavey, A. McLeavey, J. Gloyn, C. P. Jensen, 11. Bowling, J. T. Kent and F. Maul; each district not represented’* to he allowed to nominate one of its members for appointment. INTER-PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE Mr K. M. Little wrote notifying the executive that the inter-provincial conference would be held at Fcilding on May 30 and 31. He also advised that the last day for receiving remits would be May 10. The following remit for the conference was received from the Te Horo branch: —“That the Government be asked to appoint a board of not less than three members to value all farm lands occupied for the last 20 years or more, such value to be permanent and. based on the production of the unimproved value.’ ’ ' j INTERMEDIATE CREDIT TION. The Dominion secretary wrote in con-

neetion with the forriiation of an intermediate rural credit association for this district. . On the motion of Mr J. A. McLeavey, it was decided that an effort be made to establish an association, and that Mr Snell or some other representative of the Public Trust be asked to attend the next meeting, to be held at Palmerston North on June 9th, and to explain the scheme. * THANKS OP PRESIDENT. Mr O. P. Lynch thanked the members for their support and for the work they had done. He said that a splendid spirit of goodwill had existed, and .although they had had one or two brushes, it had all been for the good of the union. A vote of thanks to the chair concluded the meeting.