Farmers’ Conference MEETING AT WHANGAREI

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 979, 23 May 1930, Page 13

Farmers’ Conference

MEETING AT WHANGAREI

Final Stages Reached

THE SUN'S Special Represent a

WHANGAREI. Todav. THE Huai stages of the Auckland Provincial Conference of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union have now been reached. The principal remits on the agenda have been dealt with, and any further business will be in connection with questions of a more or less minor nature.

v At the annual meeting of the Auckland Provincial Branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union held in committee today, a number of remits dealing with the internal organisation of the union were discussed.

Mr. A. A. Ross was re-elected president; Mr. R. H. Feist and Mr. H. M. Rushworth, vice-presidents; and Mr. F. Colbeck treasurer. The executive was elected as follows: Messrs. H. E. Annett, H. Barker, W. Boyd, C. E. S. Gane, I>. B. Higgins, J. B. Jordan, H. I. Mellsop, A. McConachy and E. L. Walker. Messrs. C. C. Munro and A. R. Macky were elected provincial life members of the union. The following were elected delegates to the Dominion Conference: Messrs. W. Hall<?ns, H. E. Annett, H. Barter, W. Boyd, W. H. Chetham, R. Feist, C. E, S. Gane, A. T. Giles, J. W. Jones, H. O. Mellsop and A. E. RobinFINANCE FOR FARMERS Several remits dealing with finance, particularly with a view to making money more readily available to the farmer, came before the conference •this afternoon. A remit from the Bay of Islands asking that the Advances to Settlers and Rural Credit Departments be amalgamated under the control of a board which would be directly responsible to the Minister of Finance was adopted. It was decided also to urge that farmers should be placed on the same level as suburban dwellers in respect to the proportion of security required when seeking a Government loan. It was also decided to urge that the State Advances Act be amended to allow a mortgagor to capitalise six months’ interest every five years, provided such money is used for permanent improvements on the mortgaged property. Considerable discussion centred round a remit asking that Rural Credit bonds be put on sale in small denominations down to £5. Mr. A. E. Robinson, in urging support of the remit, said that the bonds could pass from hand to hand much in the same way as the present note issue and so popularise the bonds. That money would be readily available for financing farmers. The remit was adopted, as was also one urging that the Bank of England notes be made legal tender. The conference was unanimous that this would do away with the need for exchange rates between New Zealand and England.

MARKETING PRODUCE

DAIRY CONTROL BOARD METHOD OF ELECTION {SUN Special Representative — Copyright) WHANGAREI, Thursday. Several remits dealing with the marketing and control of primary produce were dealt with by the conference today. A remit from the Bay of Islands asking that Government and trade representatives be eliminated from the Dairy Control Board was adopted unanimously, as was another remit from Cambridge urging that only elected members representing the dairy producers bo eligible for a seat cn the board. A further remit from the Cambridge branch, moved by Mr. R. H. Feist, asking that the board be made up solely of members drawn from and elected by dairy company directorates, met with a mixed reception and failed to receive the approval of the conference. Considerable discussion centred round a remit from Whangarei asking that the question of a wool realisation board be regarded as one of urgency, and that it be .set up before the start of the 1930-31 selling season. In moving the adoption of this remit, Mr. A. Briscoe Moore stated that it was realised that this Dominion produced only about seven per cent, of the world’s wool, but it should be possible to work in with South Africa and Australia on any scheme for boosting the demand for woollen goods, iluch could be done within New Zealand to bring down marketing costs. The motion, which was seconded by Mr. Lacey, Lower King Country, was carried.

The question of the wide margin between the price received by the farmer for his wheat and the* retail price for a loaf of bread was considered by the conference following a remit from the Waiuku branch asking that wheat growers, organise their industry' on a co-operative basis along the* lines adopted by the dairy farmers. The president, Mr. A. A. Ross, urged caution in respect to such a remit, as he did not think the passing of if would do much good. Supporters of the proposal urged that something might be done in the direction of cutting out the middleman, and the remit was carried.

DEER A MENACE FARMERS’ OPINIONS From Our Own Correspondent TAU MARUNU I. Today. The action of a recent conference which decided that deer were a menace and must be destroyed was endorsed at a recent meeting by the executive of the South King Country Subprovince of the Farmers’ Union. The Department of Lands is to be urged to prevent the possibility of higher prices being charged for the ingredients for making the new ragwort spray. Dealing with unemployment, the executive passed a resolution that persons unemployed through no fault of their own have a case against the community, but not for payment without work. The problem must be viewed from the angle of increased production of a nature to provide work for the people and profit for the nation, states the resolution.

WOMEN’S LEADER TOUR OF FAR NORTH THE SUN'S Special Representative WHANGAREI, Today. Mrs. Mabel Jackson. Dominion presijient pi lha Women'a Division pi til.'

DAMAGE BY QUAIL

New Zealand Farmers’ Union, who has been attending the Whangarei conference of the union, left today for the Far North, where she will spend a fortnight organising and forming branches. The division is strictly nonpolitical and aims chiefly at alleviating the lot of the back-country housewife.

MORE PAY FOR M.P’S

FARMERS AGREEABLE DISCUSSION AT CONFERENCE THE SUN'S Special Representatit'e WHANGAREI, Today. Spirited opposition to a remit opposing an increase in the honorarium of members of Parliament brightened proceedings at the Farmers’ Conference this morning. The conference decided in favour of an increase. The remit, when moved by Mr. J. W. Norman. Cambridge, was received quietly and looked as though it would go through without any opposition un-. til a slight technical point raised by Mr. J. H. Thompson. Tauranga, brought Mr. Lee Martin. M.P., to his feet in a spirited defence of the remit. Mr. Martin reiterated his previous contention that he considered the present honorarium a “miserable pittance.” The country would be better off with ; fewer members on higher honor- 1 ariums. Politicians received an inadequate remuneration in compariwn with that of pther sections of Ahe community, he said. The Prime Minister, with the responsibility of the country in his hands, received less than half the salary of the General Manager of Railways. Private members received less than any Ministerial secretary. “They run the country.” interjected delegates. “And so they will as long as members are poorly paid,” retorted Mr. Martin. “There are many members who cannot clear expenses on £ 450 a year.”

The speaker quoted cases of members in large country electorates who had to tour their districts with Ministers of the Crown and had to pay their own expenses, while the Ministers received two guineas a day allowance. It was not a fair proposition. The present remuneration was totally inadequate for a man who desired to give full service and attention to the affairs of the electorate, and it was only when all members did so that legislation of the highest standard would be placed on the Statute Books. Mr. A. E. Robinson, in supporting the remit, said that many members used the Ministerial tours as a cheap method of electioneering. Mr. J. W. Jones considered farmers needed to exercise considerable care in respect to this question. The country wanted the best brains in Parliament and should not quibble over the payment. Mr. R. H. Feist contended that serParliament could not be compared with service in commercial spheres. It was generally admitted that the best brains of the country were not in Parliament. Mr. R. D. Duxfield thought it would be a sorry day for the country if Parliament was turned into a field for “place hunters.” The tendency would be that way if the honorariums were raised. Mr. C. C. Munro took strong exception to the assertion that members used Ministerial tours for electioneering purposes. A man must be credited with some honesty of purpose. If the electors couldn’t do that, they had no right to put him in Parliament. It was going back to the Stone Age to argue that a member should not be paid. Many good men had had to refuse nomination because they could not afford it. People raised men in public positions and considered they then held the right to damn them. Mr. H. M. Rushworth and Mr. Lee Martin, the only members of Parliament at the conference, left the room before the termination of the discussion, but when the remit was put to the meeting, it was lost by a small margin.

POPULAR PRESIDENT PETITION FROM DELEGATES THE SUN'S Special Representative WHANGAREI, Today. The popularity of Mr. A. A. Ross as president during the past two years was shown this morning, when a petition signed by more than 50 delegates was presented asking him bo reconsider his decision not to stand for a further term. In the past it has not been customary for a president to hold office for more than two consecutive terms. Mr. Ross was elected unopposed. many delegates testifying to the good work he had done for the union.

PROTECTION NOT WANTED THE SUN'S Special Representative WHANGAREI, Today. Chiefly on account of enormous damage done to crops, the conference decided on a unanimous vote to urge that all protection be removed from quail. A further remit asking that protection be removed from deer on account of damage done to forests received little opposition and was carried. The conference will be addressed by representatives of the Workers’ Educational Association this afternoon, and should finish this evening. Many Southern delegates left by the midday express today.