ANNUAL DINNER

Southland Times, Issue 21091, 24 May 1930, Page 8

ANNUAL DINNER

FARMERS AND WIVES

LARGE ATTENDANCE PRESENT

A COMPLETE SUCCESS After the completion of the Farmers’ Union Conference yesterday, . the members adjourned to the Federal Banquet Hall, where the annual dinner was held. The seating accommodation was barely sufficient for those present, and at the conclusion the function was voted highly successful. The newly elected president, Mr E. Bowmar, presided, and among those present were Mr D, J. Wesney, president of the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce, his Worship the Mayor (Mr J. D. Campbell), and Mr Adam Hamilton, M.P. In extending a welcome to those present the chairman said that he hoped, that they would not allow formality to interfere with the evening. He wished to thank the members of the union for electing him to the position of president. If the union was to make the forward strides in the future that it should by reason of its membership, then they would have to be bolder than they had been. His Worship extended thanks for the invitation to himself and the Mayoress to be present. They would have noticed that he had been taken to task in the Press for not being able to pronounce the King’s English. (Laughter). He was Scotch. (Laughter). He wished to welcome them to the City of Invercargill, with the emphasis on the Cargill. (Laughter). He, in company with the Mayoress, had arrived a little early and they had noticed that the ladies were carrying around a ballot box. The object of the box, was to find whether the men were more argumentative than the ladies. (Laughter). The new president of the union was a tactful man and he possessed plenty of “ginger.” The meeting between the Power Board and the City Council was a factor in drawing town and country together. Mr Bowmar was present at the meeting and he had spoken in a tactful manner.

Mr Wesney also extended congratulations to the union on its choice of a president. Since the British farmers had visited Southland the prices of wool and farm products had dropped, yet he was pleased to see so many smiling farmers present. Delegates from the farmers were welcomed to the meetings of the Chamber of Commerce, and the chamber was out to do its best for the farmers. , The toast of “The Parliament,” was proposed by Mr P. Arnott in humorous vein. He said that he understood that Mr Speaker looked at the Government, then at the Opposition, and said “God save our country.” (Laughter.) As far as the present Parliament was concerned it had deteriorated. They had not the grants of the past. They had come to a critical time in the country’s history, and they were governed by a Parliament in which no party was predominant. A few years back the Reform Party had gained a large majority. Now the United Party held the reins of office, and he would not hesitate to say that they had gained them by the prestige of that great statesman, Sir Joseph Ward It remained to be seen whether the United Party could produce a man .capable of leading it. Then there was the Labour Party. The farmers as a class said hard things about the Labour Party, and he did not think they were justified. On the West Coast he had met a man to whom he mentioned the “Red Feds.” The man said that there were few or no Red Feds among the miners. The man himself was conservative enough to be a farmer. (Laughter.) The response was made by Mr Adam Hamilton, M.P. With due reference to Mr Arnott, he thought that members of Parliament were as good as the average, and he was inclined to think better than the average. Members of Parliament were elected and they were the reflex of the public. If they had deteriorated that might be the. fault of the democracy. Sometimes the opinion of the minority was better than that of the majority, but a member had to get the votes of the majority to be elected. He thought that they would never break . away from party politics. Many farmers complained of the Arbitration Court and in 1927 Mr Coates proposed to pass an amendment to the Arbitration Court Act. However, the farmers, afraid of strikes, did not want the measure to be passed. Parliament was an interesting place and it promised to be more interesting in the future; in fact, it would be more interesting in the Opposition than in the Government. It was the duty of the farmers to organize to have their wrongs put right.

The next toast was the “Women's Division” and was proposed by Mr J. H. Reed, who said he always read of the activities of the Women’s Division. Perhaps it was because that in his line he realized that it was as well to be acquainted with the women’s as well as the men’s side of fanning life. If they were generating fine young people to-day, it was a tribute to those women.

The response was made bj’ the newlyelected president of the Women’s Division, Mrs W. H. Ward, of Lumsden. She said that the membership of the Women’s Division for'the whole of New Zealand was 5000,. while that for Southland' was 1000. whicli meant that Southland possessed onefifth of the total membership for New Zealand. One of the dreams of the division was to extend the facilities of the Home Science Department of Otago University to countrj' women. Thanks- to the generosity of the Carnegie Trust, who had granted the sum of .£l5OO. annually for five years, this was now possible, The grant carried a Government subsidy of one for one, which meant a grant of £l5OO for 10 years. Mrs O. E. Niederer also spoke. Mr T. Giller proposed the toast of the “Agricultural and Pastoral Interests.” He advised everybodj- not to be discouraged bj' the fall in prices that had taken place that year. He had seen . many similar occurrences.

Coupled with the toast were the names of Messrs G. W. Wild and F. W. McKay, of Otama.

The.toast o'f “The New President, ” was proposed by. the retiring president (Mr G. K. Sim), of Pukemaori, and responded to bj' Mr Bowmar.’

During the evening a song was given by Mr L. E. Dailey.