Farmers’ Union.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXII, Issue 42790, 12 October 1905, Page 2

Farmers’ Union.

MEETING OF WAIHOU BRANCH. On Tuesday evening last a meeting of the Waihou branch of the Farmers’ Union was held at Waihou. Present: Messrs Thomas (chairman), Borne (secretary), Grant, Casey, Johnson, Cooper, Abbey, Taylor, and Moriarty. Minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. A letter from headquarters gave quotations for fire insurance by anew firm in Dunedin, also stating that questions to be put by the Farmers’ Union to Parliamentary candidates would be forwarded to the branches as soon as prepared. As many branches had asked for the services of a provincial organiser, one would be sent out as soon as the financial position warrants it. The letter also stated that the report of the recent Labour Conference had been discussed by the Employers’ Association, and nearly every plank in its platform had been oppposed. In the report of the Labour Conference there were 44 proposals. Of these 40 were either opposed or no action taken. The following! four were approved. 15. Industrial agreements of a majority of employers to he as effective as awards. 18. Municipalities to he empowered to acquire gasworks. 20. Greater care in committing and treating lunatics. 25. All State employees to he brought under the Arbitration Act. Most of the other proposals were considered unreasonable and opposed to the welfare of the Colony. A letter was read stating that Professor Kirk, of the Department of Agriculture has offered to supply samples of nitrogenous cultures to branches of the Union. Only those members who were prepared to carefully carry out the tests should receive the samples, as the supply of cultures was limited. The cultures, the letter stated, were of no benefit except to crops of a leguminous order. The seeds were to he inoculated with the cultures, the soil thus getting the benefit of the cultures being left in it. The Secretary had replicl stating that he himself was willing to carry out the tests. No samples had yet arrived. He intends to experiment with clover and peas. A letter from the Railway Department stated that the freight on artificial manures from Auckland to Waitoa, Waihou, and Te Aroha is 10s 7d, 10s 9d and 10s lOd per ton respectively, and ex Westfield to same places, 9s 9d, 9s lid, and 10s. A report from the Railways Departmer t stated‘that farmers were in the habit of leaving goods in the trucks for some days before taking delivery. The Department states that if goods are not removed within 12 hours of arrival they will he charged with demurrage. Mr Cooper said he had a good deal to do with the railway, and found it best to notify the supplier when stuff was to be delivered, so that goods need not he left at the railway even an hour if it could be avoided. He thought one man’s stuff should be put in one ti’uck, and not in trucks for other places as was sometimes done. Chairman: We wrote some time ago to the authorities with regard to leaving stuff at the station. They promised to keep it under cover, but I have ssen hags of grass seed in the rain—one containing £9 worth of Paspalum seed.

Mr Cooper said that if the officials had not time to put the goods in the shed, tarpaulins should he provided to protect stuff from the birds and weather. They were paying freights as high as other places where much better facilities were provided.

The Chairman moved that the Minister for Railways he communicated with on this matter. This was seconded by Mr Abbey pifd carried unanimously. A sample of bonecfiiKt had been forwarded to the Chemical Division qf the Department of Agriculture. On analysis it was pronounced to ho of good quality, and suggested that perhaps the fact that last season was a bad one for turnips in tho North Island, might account for the failure of those on which this bonedust had been used.

At the Annual Conference of delegates, it would he moved that more determined stops should be taken to secure the return of proper candidates to Parliament, seeing that farmers need not mind on which side of the House members sat. At the last election some candidates refused to answer questions put to them, but they did not consider this a fair tiling for any candidate to do, This election it -would be necessary for them to make arrangements for questions to be put to candidates. Private reasons for supporting a candidate should be put on one side, and tho loyal support of all members of the Union given to the candidate decided to be most favourable to the Union. A letter from Mr Barker stated that there were thousands of cows in this district alone, that should be sterilised by speying or webbing. Mr Barker said he' could operate at Waihou on the 23rd and 24th inst,' It was decided that Mr Barker be asked to come and operate on these dates. Webbing hardly seems to affect the milk at all. Speying would be likely to put it back somewhat. It was said that a large number of cows, at least sixty, would be forth-coming-for operation. A number of colts were also promised, which Mr Barker would operate on at 5s each. Previous to speying, cows must he twentyfours hours r, ffi feed and water. Mr Dan C.-sey i very kindly offerv I the use of his yard for the operations. Mr Powerhad also given permission for the use of the yard of the Waitoa Estate Co. 'Pro Chairman moved that these offers be accepted with thanks. Seconded by Mr Taylor arjd carried. The question tyas raised whether it would not be advisable for the Union to offer a r,e: ward for such infopnatiQn as would lead tq the conviction of any person unlawfully removing goods from the railway premises, a number of articles haring been recently stolen from there. This matter was left in abeyance. The business then concluded.