N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

Shannon News, 8 November 1929, Page 4

N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE MEETING-.. The monthly meeting of the Manawatu Provincial Executive of tlh-e Farmers ’ Union was held on Saturday, in the Baud'Boom, Levin, there being present: —?tessr3 0. P. Lynch (president), H. Dei. torn, H. J. McLe'avey. J. Gloyne, J. T. Kent, B:: G. Gower, A. J. MeLeavcy, H. Bowling. H. Bond, R. Craig, C. P. JenwuH, and E. N. Budden (ceerietary). Apologies for abs-oree were received from Mes.ifs J. BakUae and E. Maul, the latter being in hospital for la minor operation. "TASMANIAN PALMERS’ VISIT. Reporting on the visit to-Palmerston North of the Tasmanian party of farmers touring New Zealand, live secretary stated that, in conjunction with the committee, he made -arrangemeiats for the receiving and guiding of the party, who greatly appreciated the itinerary duu-wn up for them. Thirteen cars were made available, and a mu.-a satisfactory run round the .district resulted. 'The greatest difficulty had been to compress all the sight-seeing within the limits of ' the time-tab,.;. Taking the outing all through, and judging by the expressions or individual members, the party were very well satisfied with the arrangements that the Committee had made for ti.. m. He felt sure that they went away w.th a good impression of so much of " the Manawatu district as the Union had been able to show them in the limited time available.

Mr Bond thalnked the secretary for tlic work he had done, that officer having left no stone unturned to make the visit a pleasant one. The speaker personally appreciated the way in which Mr Budden had -organised the trip. Th'anks were due to the Dairy Farmers’ Union and others who had lelut cars. 'Representatives of the ■ Women ds Division wore also present, and Were deserving of praise for their entertainment of the sole lady member * of the party. The chairmain reported on a dinner given to the Tasmanian farmers in Wellington, and which lie had attended. They were loud in their praises of tho liberal Irdatmenit that had been extended to them in this country. Some of them were quite sympathetic with the suggestion for reciprocity between this country and Australia in the matter of tariffs. lie moved a hearty vots of thanks to the secretary and all who had helped to entertain the Tasmanians during their visit to MaJn'awatu, ; and particularly to those Who had lent their cans.

The motion wa)s seconded by Mr Denton, and ciairried. A copy was -received of the address delivered in Wellington by Professor Murphy on the subject of public expenditure. The executive also received a report on five supply of Nauru and Ocean Islands phosphates. STERILITY IN COWS.

> The chairuiian 'Stated that, at the last ~ meeting of the Dominion executive, Dr. Beak as, the Government Veterinarian, Was present and gave Information-con-ooriling tire measures taken by his Department to ascertain the causes of sterility among cows. Various officers were at work in the district's, and they supplied reports to headquarters. In 'addition the Department was im communication with authorities in the other loading dairying countrius. Different means hod been tried of coping with the trouble. In some cases partial success had bedn met with, while in others failure had resulted from the •saitfe mode of treatment. The situation was very perplexing, but the officers were .still striving for a solution. Mr Kent stated that, last yelar, eight of his cow's failed to conic into milk. He changed the bull, and as la result seven out of the. eight were now in milk.

Several members spoke admitting that Hie Government was very active in trying to cope with the difficulty; and Hie chairman -stated Hint many visceral exSaminaltio-ns of cows had been made at abattoirs. It was pointed out, both by tihe chairman tod other speakers, that nilainy other countries wore similarly affected^

The chairman 'suggested, a ceusu's of herds to ascertain tlhe incidence of sterility in different localities. Returns he said, might be gathered by the Union in tliis district, to show if one area was at a greater loss than another. Then the Government''could be asked to .;-end out a • chemist to analyse the toil of a seriously affected locality, also an agmstol'ogist to examine the pastures. • Amongst themselves, members of the Union might be able to throw some light on the position, by obtaining I 'returns from the owners of herds. 'Mr J. A. McLmvey said that if gihups were formed, they could probably do more good than the Government officers in the way suggested, but the services of the Departmental experts should also be obtained from time to lime. In tlhe Palmerston end of the district, cows were blowing-up” on the ordinary pastures — : a position which he had never noticed before.

Mr Bowling stated that there were niore cases of cows being blown this ye'ar than in previous years, and he had lost one cow through this cause.

Mr Bond remarked that the Government took statistics in various matters, and it would not be much trouble to find out how many cows were In calf and how mlainy were late in calving.

The Chairman: In nine eaJses out of ten they go at a thing too extensively for us to follow up. It Was mentioned by tire chairman that lip had, at tlhe inter-provincial conference in Miastertori, proposed the ppheme of a census by the Union, but it Was turned d'own. If the members present at this meeting thought anything 'Of the. proposal, the secretary and himself could draft a scheme. A farmer could be asked to make a return of •representative herd's in his neighbourhood. If it whs found that the herds

were giving the same pereeiivtage of calves all over the district, the investigiation would, of course, have been a. failure.

Mr Bowling and Mr H. J. McLeavey offered to do their share- towards obtaining the returns. The chairman said that the inquiries could be made by post and three months allowed for the supply of the returns. lie undertook to look into the mint ter. VALUATION ANOMALIES. . On the course of a commentary on the work do-ne at the last meeting of the Dominion executive, the Chairman Mated tibo Government had previously been asked to set up a Commission to take evidence and try to find nut- the most equitable way of -assessing land for taxation purposes. The reply was that the Government could not do it. A special committee was set up, at the lard meeting - of the executive, to take evidence and report on the whole question. That committee wins to meeton some date yet to be decided on. If any of the members of the provincial executive liiad a-nv schemes that woulu help the committee to come to a finding, they should sein'd them in. One cf the great difficult icy urns that there was no set Valuation. The Government fixed Hie valuation for land tax pmposes, but if the owner died another valuation was called for; if he did not diei, but wanted to borrow inobey, the Government valued the pbaee again. These different valuations did not correspond. The la tie Sir John Mackenzie, in .introducing the legislation dealing with tillc nia’titer, said that the one value Would be for all purposes, imdud ing local bodies’ taxation. This was not found to be the case now. The local bodies paid Hie Government for the privilege of copying the Government values; for hating purposes For loan purposes a new valuation was ndarly always asked for. ,Mr Denton gave am instance in which the value of a property wa-s increased for probate purpose's, ail'd reduced at the next valuation.

The clvairm'an -spoke of a case 11 which the Goven-meiit would not a*' cept tho probate value when the legato, of an estate found that he had to Ixtr row money to pay his taxes, the Gov eminent shading out an officer to mak< a fr-cSb valuation for the purposes o: the loan.

In conclusion the chairman said that the best why of getting light on th" subnet was for members to forward their ideas to the committee or give evidence lie fore it. DOMINION EXECUTIVE.

Reporting on the last meeting of the Dominion executive, the chainnaln stated that Mr Kent’s remit relating to the prevalence of .sflH-cp-’st-eoliug was brought forward, and there were some other remits to the same effect. The whole question whs held over pending a report from the Police Department. The fruitgrowers hud again .affiliated with the Farmers-' Union. The next

meeting of the Dominion executive would be held in March. On that occasion there would be <u conference with English and South African farmers, to discuss reciprocal tariffs and trcmera.l co-ordimation of farmers’ interests in the respective countries.