NEW ZEALAND FARMERS’ UNION

Taihape Daily Times, 29 May 1919, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND FARMERS’ UNION

PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE AT

MILLINGTON (From Our Own Correspondent.) Tile annual meeting of the ‘Wellington Provincial Conference of the N.Z. Farmers’ Union was held in Wellington on Wednesday., there being a large number of delegates present. After the president’s address had been disposed of Sir James "W ilson addresesd the conference, and specif ally referred to the objects of cstabthe Farmers’ Union Institute at Wellington, Fine, commodious premises had now been provided, in which all the interests of farmers would be catered for. The consideration of remits was then proceeded with. SHIPPING. “That the Conference bring before the Government the serious position of the farming community, owing to the shortage of insulated shipping and the consequent congestion of meat in the cold stores of the Dominion, ’( was moved by Mr. Gregor McGregor on behalf of Wavorley. He stressed fact that the prosperity of New r Zealand depended upon insulated shipping. At present the position of New Zealand exports was very bad. Produce was accumulating in the stores, and it was time that something was done, and done quickly. It was up to the farmers to mobilise their forces when their prosperity was being menaced. Australian stores were practicf ally empty, and yet the New Zealand freezing chambers were full.

The remit was carried. Mr. J. Smith moved on behalf of Taihapc: “That the Government be urged to capitalise the sum now paid to the various shipping companies for carrying the Dominion’s mails, and build sufficient steamers' to carry all

our own oversea mails, passengers, and produce.” The speaker urged that the Government should stop paying £200,000 to subsidise mails, and capitalise the amount for the purpose of owning and running it own ships. Mr. G. D. McFarlane (Woodville) seconded. He thought the. Government should formulate a scheme as Australia did, and go into the matter. thoroughly. Mr Allan Robinson sympathised with the proposal but suggested that the motion be amended to read as follows: “That the Government he urged to adopt some scheme such as to capitalise. etc,”

*• This, was agreed to. Mr. Gregor McGregor urged that . the producers should run their own '▼line of steamers. Mr. W. J Birch, considered that the time had arrived when some steps should he taken by them to protect their own interests. Mr. Matheson again suggested the following amendment: “That the Dominion Executive he asked to again call a meeting of the Shipping Committee to forward the floating of a New Zealand Company to be controlled in New Zealand/’ Mr. Hugh Morrison moved, and Mr Vile seconded. a& an amendment: “That the Dominion Executive be asked to again call a meeting of the Shipping Committee to forward a plan of safeguarding our shipping interests and report to provincial branches at the earliest possible time.” Several other speakers spoke in opposition to the original remit, the present position, of shipping demanding prompt action, and the feeling was against Government taking complete control.

Mr. Smith replied to the arguments made against Ithc remit, and lie suggested that if the amount paid in subsidies was capitalised, it would mean that £7.000,000 would be available to buy 14 ships, and the enemy defeated. The amendment was carried, and the fa remit was lost.' MEAT TRUST. “That the Government be requested to take further steps to prevent the Meat Trust operating in this Dominion,” wag moved by Mr. T. Beaton, and seconded by Mr. Hugh Morrison, on behalf of the Foatherston Branch. The latter contended that the Dominion should have control of its produce at the other end. Mr. Morrison dealt with the operations of the Meat Trust, and he suggested that the establishment of an office of the Meat Trust at Christchurch was the thin end of the wedge, and producers had to watch matters very carefully in their interests. , Mr. H. Burrell (Feildlng) maintained that co-operation was an antidote to the Meat Trust menace. The President read the Act dealing with the operations of the Trust, but ho said it was a question whether the Act went far enough. Mr. J. Smith urged State shipping and State meat shops at the other end Mr, Evelyn McDonald, who had personal experience of theioperations of the Trust in America, Pid it would h be a case of "God help New Zeaalnd” if the Trust menace gets a grip on it. The remit was carried. Carterton’s remit: "That the Gov- ' tomment be requested to publish the

names of the representatives of the Meat Trust. also the names under which the Meat Trus£ is operating in this Dominion,” was moved by Mr. C. Reid and seconded by Mr. Hugh Morrison. ! After a good deal of discussion the remit was carried. Another remit dealing with the Moat Trust was moved by Mr, T. Benton, on behalf of Foathorston, viz.: That, with a view of preventing the agents of the Moat Trust operating in dairy produce iu this Dominion, the Confciference urges the National Dairy Association to advise all dairy farmers to consign their produce to the Home markets and to arrange,for their own means of distribution there.” The mover and seconder (Mr. Brenmei) considered that it was not generally known that the Trust was including dairy produce within its scope of operations.

The remit was carried unanimously. FORESTRY. Mr. W B. Mathieson (Eketahuna) and Mr. W. J. Birch (Marton) moved and seconded respectively; “That the Government be persistently pressed until it takes more active steps to pin a Department of Forestry in working orderf’ Mr Mathjcson referred to the work being done in the preservation cf forestry- He considered the Minister was not as active as he might be ■ in such a great cause. Fires last year destroyed fully £IOO,OOO worth of timber, and the speaker referred specially to the destruction of kauri timber in the North of Auckland. The world, he considered, was approaching a world timber famine, and every eTford should be made to preserve our forests. The remit was carried unaninfously. TOWN PLANNING. The remit “That the Conference accords its hearty support to the passing of a Town Planning Act providing for town planning in its wddest sense, ■with provision for the laying out on modern lines of village settlements in rural settlements, in rural districts,” was carried with enthusiasm. TAXATION. A remit that the Conference strongly opposes any further issue of war loans free of income tax was rejected. CATTLE TICK. Mr. Benton, of Featherston, moved, and Mr. Moore (Makuri) seconded the following remit standing in the names of Featherston, Makuri. Martinborough and Tinui: “That the Government bo requested to take drastic steps to eradicate cattle tick and to place a strict quarantine on the infested area, and that a tax be levied on all cattle in New Zealand to provide funds for a speedy extermination of the cattle tick ”

Mr. Vautier moved an amendment, and Mr. R. H. Guthrie (Rangiwahia) seconded, to the effect that all the words after the word “area” in reference to the imposition of a tax be deleted. The speakers objected to all stock in the Dominion being taxed. Considerable discussion followed, one speaker suggesting the isolation of cattle trucks engaged in carrying tick-infected stock. The suggestion met with the approval of the Conference/ and the amendment having been put to the meeting and carried it was further decided that the Government be requested to isolate all cattle trucks from infected areas. OPEN MARKETS

“That in view of the heavy taxation on land, Parliament be asked to allow all farm produce to be placed on open was a remit from Whakaronga, and moved by Mr. Vautier, who considered that everything produced on the land should be disposed of in open markets. A further amendment was moved by Mr. Vile, and seconded: “That the Farmers’ Union protests against the action of the Government in fixing the price of butter at 21d below the export price.” This was carried. It was then decided, on the motion of Mr. Mathieson, that the following be adde to the previous amendment: “That the Government deliberately reduces the returns of any man’s labour (for the general good), the cost of such reduction should be recouped to the labourer out of the consolidated fund.” The added amendment then became the substantive motion, and was carried. CHEESE ON THE RAILWAYS.

Mr. G. H. Cook (Greytown) moved the two following remits from the Greytown Branch: (1) “That the Railway Department be requested to arrange for the faster carriage of cheese and butter from factories to cool stores in (2) “That the attention of the Railway Department' be drawn to the fact that the Government Grader has reported to certain factories that their cheese has arrived in cool stores in Wellington with large pieces cut out of the cheese.”

Sevteral delegates commented upon the way cheese was cut during transit on the railways, yet responsibility was repudiated by the railway authorities. It was then decided, on the motion of Mr. A. Bride (Nireaha) that the following remit be consiflered simultaneously with the two foregoing; “That the atention of the Minister of

Railways be called to the unsatisfactory regulations exempting the Department from responsibility for short delivery of consignments of cheese at the Harbour Board’s grading store.’ 5 The remit was carried. immigration policy ADVOCATED. AUCKLAND, this day. The Farmers’ Union agreed that the Poverty Bay sub-provincial area be recognised as a provincial district of the Union! A motion was carried unanimously expressing th e desirability of the Government adoption of a proper migration policy and .settlement.