N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 2 August 1917, Page 4

N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

MEETING OF TAIHAPE BRANCH. IMPORTANT PROPOSALS DISCUSSED. A general meeting of the Taihape' Branch of the Farmers' Union was held yesterday, there being a large and representative attendance Mr. A. R. Fannin presided. After the usual routine business the chairman reported that a party of members had paid a visit to the State Farm, at Momahaki. They were met by the manager. Mr. Lonsdale, who tendered a hearty welcome, and spared no p: ins to make their visit interesting, and educational. The stay was necessarily short but Mr. Lonsdale had crowded a lot into it; he had done his utmost to make their visit of value to them. On the motion of the chairman the meeting passed an unanimous vote of thanks to Mr. Lonsdale. MEAT AND SHIPPING. The chairman said a letter had been roccived from Mr Marshall, of Marton, advising that Wednesday, was to be set aside by the Farmers' Conference, now sitting in Wellington, for discussion of the meat and shipping

problems, and of other matters of special interest at the present time. This branch was requested to appoint a representative to attend the meeting. Mr. D. G. Gordon, had been appointed and that gentleman was now present to report what had transpired. Mr. D. G. Gordon, remarked that he was glad he attended the* Conference as he had gained much valuable information thereat. He had not come back with anything definite as the subjects would not lend themselves to anything definite being arrived ait. Several speakers addressed the Conference, the chief of whom was Mr. Lysnar, of Gisborne. The burden of his speech was that the farmers of . New Zealand had been asleep. He said there were two great lines of insulated shipping, one from the Argentine, the other from Australia and the Argentine had been reinforced with boats taken from the New Zealand trade. They were told that these boats were required to take meat from Argentine to England, but it was proved that they carried huge quantities of meat to New York. It was proved that the shipping and mealij trusts were associated in their operations. Shipping tonnage at the present time was nothing less than it was before the war. What with new construction and seizures there was plenty of shipping to carry all their produce to market. When Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward returned to this country there were only eight ships in sight, but shortly after Mr. Massey was able to say there were eighteen ships available, i

Continuing, Mr. Gordon said that both Mr. Poulson and Mr. Lysnar had endeavoured to urge farmers to be on the alert. Mr. Lysnar. said he was willing to stake his reputation that if the farmers gave him full support he would undertake to get all the shipping that was requisite. Mr. Poulson argued on somewhat different lines but both reached very nearly the same conclusions. He maintained that the shipping outlook was exceedingly gloomy; America was raising a large army and many ships would be required as transports. If America had to depend on present shipping it would take twelve months to take her men to the front. This view was backed up by the Premier of Australia, who stated that the shipping problem was severe and serious. Mr. Keakes also addressed the Conference and urged farmers to help themselves by increasing the storage space in their freezing works. A new scheme for economising shipping space was now on trial and there appeared to be every prospect that freezing companies would be instructed to divide each carcase, to ensure closer packing. This would be a saving of room equal to a million carcases. Keferring to what was said about the butter congestion. Mr. Gordon said there appeared to be a consierable surplus of engine power that could be utilised for butter storage. It was said that th e butter in store was equal to two million carcases of mutton. Butter storage was going to be a very serious matter to butter people. Some Auckland freezing works were bound to store butter, as dairymen had taken shares in the works. He (Mr. Gordon) was surprised to learn that insulated ships only made two and a half trips a year to ISTcav Zealand, largely the result of having to set down cargo at various ports and then to pick up meat at so many places to fill wp. Mr. Lysnar was the only man at the Conference who was'confident there was plenty of shipping, all others were of opinion that shipping coutd jfot be got to carry farmers ever the next season. Even with storage for another two million sheep there would be a block, and farmers were beginning to look to shipping companies, as of old for any space may be available for the coming season. It seemed there was certain to be a shortage and farmers are advised to prepare for growing winter feed; more feed will have to be grown if the stock are to be carried over as present conditions seem to indicate.

Further, Mr. Gordon said that so far as the Taihape Freezing "Works axe concerned, it would be ; necessary /%> conserve the interests of shareholders first and when that was done there would only be a limited space left. It is distinctly in the best interests of all farmers to get space in the Taihape Freezing: Companv or in some other Those who had Mid their stock lal? year at the highest price wherever it could be got would neither be favoured by this company, or the company they had sold to, as every inch of space in most companies would thfen absorbed by shareholders From a space point of view Taihape was in a better position than most works, and farmers in this district, might find it to their interests to get shares in the company while they were available. At present they could not see the way clear to allot space for more than 10,000 carcases. The only and absolute cure for

the shipping trouble was State shipping and State control, and this country would never get justice till State owned and controlled shipping was an accomplished fact. (Hear, hear.) There was going to be huge taxation levied from land and incomes, and therefore it was only just to farmers that the State should se e that their products should be got away. What was being , done at the present time was merely temporary; the position was, the evyl was done and now tlfey had to find steps to tide over the difficulty. Ships were diverted from New Zealand and had gone to carry meat to and from other countries; his firm opinion was that the only means of securng permanent reliable shipping was by State control. RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY CONFERENCE. Mr. Gordon was of the opinion that Mr. Lysnar was doing fearlessly a huge work in the interest of farmers, and yet there were som e so conservative at the Wellington Conference that they hesitated to give him the backinghis work deserved. Mr.. Lysnar proposed a number of resolutions, but these were referred to a committee for proof of all the statements made, and as th e Conference had subsequently adopted all these resolutions in very nearly their original* form it must be taken that Mr. Lysnar, as he undertook to do, proved his statements up to the hilt. The resolutions proposed by Mr. Lysnar and adopted by- the Conference were as follows: "Your committee has the honour toreport that in its opinion there are genuine grounds for believing that neither the shipping nor the meat control —is working satisfactorily. Therefore it makes the following recom--^ r mondations to be forwarded to the* Government of New Zealand urging it to take into consideration the following reforms which your committee considers to be both urgent and essential: 1. That the Government be urged to make arrangements to centralise the shipping so that as far as practicable boats should be loaded at Home so as to be unloaded at one central New Zealand port, with the object of expediting reloading with frozen meat from on e or two ports: meat and other produce to be delivered as far as is necessary in insulated coastal steamers as well as by rail from the adjoining works. It is understood that the main ports in turn shall be the loading centreSi exceptions to be made only for those minor ports where the meat could not be safely transhipped. 2. That this Conference strengly protests against the apportionment of shipping space for ew e and lamb mutton partcularly to Wellington exporters, and demands that the Government should see to it that it should be apportioned equitably according to the amount of produce awaiting shipment from each shipping port. We consider that this can only be satisfactorily carried out by the appointment of an in- j dividual or a committee answerable "*- only to the New Zealand Government and who is not associated with either the meat or shipping industry. 3 It is advisable that the shippingshould be controlled in the United Kingdom, by a shipping controller answerable only to the Imperial Government who should be kept supplied by data regarding the produce in store in New Zealand to enable him to estimate what shipping is required at this end. 4. All the shipping companies trading to New Zealand and plying for freight and passenger traffic should be declared by statute law to be common carriers.

5. That the Commercial Trusts Act of 1910 and its amendments should be appltofcblc to shipping. This Act prohibits the giving of secret commissions or creating any monopoly. 0. That immediate steps should be taken by the Government of New Zealand, either alone or in conjunction with the farmers and mercantile firms of the Dominion to acquire sufficient ships to relieve the serious shortage of shipping for both inter-Colonial and Home trade, and at the same time to be a controlling factor in fettling '-the freight rates to be charged, and if necessary to compulsorily. acquire someof the New Zealand trading ships that i have been or are being sold to outside *• companies. Mr* 7. Strong representations be

made to the Imperial authorities to provide a legislative enactment that ShUI forbid the granting of secret commissions and rebates on freight and the creation of shipping monopolies in . -England; in other words'to adopt our -Commercial Trusts Act as it stands to-day,-with shipping included. 8. That the Govjgnmen,t of New ZeaAnd should at orP>r communicate and endeavour to arrange for the Imperial Government's consent to discontinue the system of nomination at this end provided for in connection with the sale of meat to the Imperial authorities as it is mainly beneficial to such firms as work in conjunction with the meat trusts.

9.That a committee or an individual answerable only to the Imperial Government and in no way associated with, any firm or company engaged in the buying and selling of meat, should b« appointed to control the handling of the surplus meat in England, and further, that this committee* or individual should arrange that any meat not required for army or navy purposes is sold in the United Kingdom through channels which are known not to be associated with the Meat Trust, for sale to consumers at the actual cost, plus all proper charges and reasonable allowances. 10. That the Government of New should take immediate steps to -emiimunicate direct to Mr. Lloyd George, Prime Minister of England, the above suggestions so far'as they affect the Imperial authorities, asking for his and his Government's assistance in having effect given to the resolutions of this conference as this conference feels that very grave injustices are being done, to the detriment of the English consumers and of the Empire and its Allies in the present great national

Struggle. 11. That as the producers have supplied their meat at less than the market value and as the present arrangement is playing into the hands of the Trust operators through the prompt payments which they are making, and as some of our ships have been necessarily, or otherwise, diverted from the New Zealand trade, this conference ■urges that it would be a fair arrangement and in the public interest that payment should be made on the hooks by the Government. 12. That taking into consideration the facts and figures before this conference, it is probable that some millions of sheep and lambs may be shut out of the freezing works and that consequently the farmers of the Dominion be recommended to provide as much winter feed as possible. 13. That in the opinion of this conferenM representations should, be made to the freezing and dairying companies of New Zealand to provide further cold storage for butter, cheese and meat, with the double purpose of relieving the present serious congestion and also to provide for the essential needs of these industries, so as to equalise the distribution of our produce upon the

Home market. 14. That the New Zealand Government should be urged to make strong representations to the Imperial Government to facilitate the manufacture and shipment of meat freezing accessories necessary for the construction of additional storage and that where a company is too weak financially to "build increased storage capacity, the Government advance money at reasonable rates of interest. 15. That dairying companies should be urged by the Government to provide additional storage, particularly for butter, as all the frozen space for meat will b e urgently required for the meat industry. VOTE OF THANKS. The chairman thought that Mr. Gordon had ably reported what was of interest to them to know. They should give their support to what was being donev-by doing their utmost to increase the membership of the Farmers', Union so that the maximum benefits could be got from the work officers of the Union were doing. He moved and Mr.. Mickleson seconded, that a hearty vote of thanks be accorded for his attendance at the conference as their representative, and for the useful and interesting information he had furnished in his reports.—Carried by acclamation. WHEAT-GROWING PEOPOSALS. A letter was read from the Provincial Secretary of the Union, inviting Taihape farmers. to. take part in a wheat growing competition. The chairman said that two years ago he had put in a small patch of wheat and reaped a very good sample of grain, but that was in about the only dry summer experienced for years. There was no large area of flat land suitable for wheat-growing about here, and as the land was exceptionally suited to root-crops he thought much more good could be accomplished by growing winter feed as the conference had urged them to do. At the Marton Conference it was stated that the wheat price fixed by the Government was not a payable one. Mr. thought the ' letter should be placed before the members who lm& land suitable. Mr 'Walter jjijfeams said he was again putting ii} acres of wheat

He did not know the what variety of wheat he had been growing, but he had threshed out as much as 50 bushels to the acre. Last year small birds had been troublesome, and he found there was a strong tendency for crops to run to straw. He had grown wheat crops as good as any in the Dominion, The higher the alititude the better he found his crop. Although he didn't know the variety his wheat was a very good sample. Mn, D. Scott thought that owing to the scarcity of flats suitable for wheat growing, farmers would do more good by growing root crops. He moved that the letter be brought under the notice of all members who could grow wheat, having the land suitable, but this meeting is of opinion that most good can be accomplished by farmers putting in larger areas of root crops to enable them to cope with the stock carrying that may be forced upon them by the shortage of shipping, and because land is much more suitable for roots than wheat. After being seconded by Mr. Gilchrist this resolution was unanimously adopted. Mr. Gordon remarked that the majority of stock coming forward for freezing would very well stand a bit more finishing.

ALLEGED SHEARING AGREEMENT

Farmers who were present at the conference between sheepowners and shearing hands said it was absurd to suggest that they could sign any agreement involving any other sheep-farmer; It was known to all that were present that it was merely a conversation resulting from farmers being in town on their way to Momohaki, and they asked to hear what the men had to say. Mr. J .Smith (Hopwood) thought th e Farmers' Union need not trouble about what had been done. Farmers had not been advised of any conference, therefore they had nothing to do with any agreement irresponsible people had allegedly made. Farmers had no knowledge of this meeting and did not recognise it in any shape or form. A resolution proposed by Mr Smith and seconded by Mr. D. Scott, in the words above stated was adopted unanimously. A vote of thanks to the chair closed the meeting.