NEW ZEALAND FARMERS' UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 119, 14 June 1901, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND FARMERS' UNION.

CONFERENOB OF BRANCH DELEGATES. A conference of delegate* of the s veial TinMintki 1 ranches of th < New Zaaland Farmers' Union was held on Tuesday, in S'ratforJ. The following delegates were present. ; —Messrs Riehtrdson, Stratford ; S, Forsyth, Opunake ; Old, Kapuni ; Hathaway. Mid<irst; Smith, Ga* cliff; Mac a-, Mer - ■nere ; Tate. Waitara ; McCluggage, Whangamomona ; Howell, Rahotu ; Leejh, Inglewcod ; Hamilton, Patea ; Foreman, Manoia ; Blake, Whenakur.<; Wioks, liawera ; Baker aid Inkst'r, Notmanby; Astbury, Malice; Maix <nd Thompson, M«ngatoki ; F W. Wilkie, Kaporga ; Fryd iy, Ngaire ; B. D've, Eltham ; Matsb, Egmont Vilhge ; Ro K insm, Oaning'on Road ; Sawle, Kaimate ; Martin, Matapu ; Holden, M*. J. G. Glas-, organising secretary, was in alt ndance. Mr. Winks was elected chairman. The rules were discussed seriatim. Olune 1, date of annual meeting, was discussed at srmeleng h. The rule »s to the financial year ilos'ng in December was al'ered to make it apply to •ho Central Committee only. G'ausa 2, fixing the membership of committees at five, was passed unlfeied. Clause 3, re formation of cen'ra?, was deleted.

Clause 4, appointment of d< legates to annual provincial me3iing in March. —Mr. Glass suggested that the date of meeting be fix d to mitrah branch. —M>\ Fryday proposed that for the Taranaki district the da'e be July. Mr. Mc r Tt£ , g"ga favo e.l fs th" • im'-, I eing moro sui f able for back block setiers -The amendment was carri i'. G'aose 6, annual conf irercs of rep resen'ativ s Khali appoint a prei-idont, vice-pe i 1 fecretary, treasnrfr, an«l acrm-vi te> <f five was nrnondei bv s'rikirg ou 1 ' tho wcrds " e< mrn.ttee of five."- Mr. H .thai ay sngg sted that the conferenc.i be called " Golon al." - Vfr. Marx prop s d that thi eor.ference be callc d " National" The rule pass ,d uniltecd Clau e 7, working members must be lai dlv Idars, or producers of country produce. Mr Leech said tbe rule was not expl : c : t enough. A maD with half ■n ac e (ould call himself a farmflr.— Mr. S " le ii-god fhat they should not x lode anyone who was getting his livlih ol out of the land. --Mr. G'as= w sin favour o r a ru'o providing that ar.yore empby- d by a farmer be woikini» membii's, and have a yate on any u' ject aff cting his part < f the indm tiy.--Mr Foreman said membsr.should be enrolled on a general ptin ciple, Many fa'mers' sons were working for o'h«rs, and thesu the Association wanted to get, si that when the llder generation pass"deuttheyounge r ones would take thsir plac- 1 . He was in favour of the matter being left to the discretion of the branch, —Ml'. Tat" n Mr. Foreman's remarks, and •>av» an instance where a mm who w u'd have made a fine member had dropped out bee us < of the rule.—ln reply ti a delegito, Mr. Glass said a farmer's wife could be a mnmb r. —Mr. Astbury sugge'te l tho deletion of the words "any person interested in the dvanceraent of country districts may b-i an honourary member, who will have no vote or hold any office, and pay no annual subscription." The words were a blot on the ru'e.—Mr Dive's araendnrnt was carried. (This means the deletion of lfiferenee to honorary members). —Mr. Wilkin moved that farmer's wives and children be admitted free as working member*. Clause 8 Ail members to be admitted on the p ee of one shilling ; working members *•o pay the annnal subscription of 2s.— Mr. Astbnrv move! that tho words " all members except as heretofore d'Sred," be added,—At this stipe Mr. Glass referred awn to ru'e 7 H> said a lot of lady m°mbers had paid their subscriptions. If there wore no fees, who was going to do the enrolling Ho certainly was |not going to do so, and he was sure the other canvass 'is were not.—The r ill was pissed as amended. Clauses 9 and 10 were talcn ps r-tsd.

Clause 11, the of ech cantre shall send the arc un's anil holflßceof morey ii hand once ia each quir'er, to tin provincial secretary. Mr Leech moved that cliusi 11 be struck on*', and the f Rowing substituted : That the treasu-er of eich shall, at end of fist quaiW, send to the provincial secretary half the subscriptions, the balnnre to be forwarded at the end of the yeir.—M-. T-ite reordered half the subscriptions should be Bent ti headquarters and half kept for the working of the branches. Mr Glsss said if the branches were allowed ti expend as much as they deemel fi l ;, the Association could not work.—Mr Leech's m">t<on was carrird. Clause 13, all officers, including secetary and treastues (where any), shall be members of these committe s ex qfflcin, wis passed unaltered. The f illoAung e'auses were allowed to remain untouched : Clauses 14, 15 16, 17 and 18 A new clause was added, on the motion of Mr. Leech, That an auditor be appointed for each provincial district and Of* for thi head centre aocmnt*, and that each branch audit; its own accounts.

Mr. Fryday moved, That all permanent offi. ia'a he farmers. Mr. Richardson moved, That each commit'ee ire its own discretion as to whom it admi l g to membership, and ibl°o ns to who it shall appoint a" officer?.—Mr, Ai-tfyiry corsidered it wsull bi ruinous to rarry Mr. Fiyday's motion. It would cut away the pr-nind from of tbe bmncbes. Mr. McCluggage seconded the amendment. He ors'di-red a pr. fession.il secre'ary would do the work better t.han theryjvflrsge farmer cculd.—Mr. Forftnan said there was this to consider ; thev wanted t 0 d 'bar out-ddei's fi'ira becoming members of the Union, jond yet they proposed to allow comm'S'ion aeon's to be secretaries (f unionp. The thing was in-onsistrnt.. —The motion wis lot, and the amendment carried. Mr. H. Divewa' appointed Wasurer. Mr. F i»lia.ll w«s clcctd sesret r\\ Messrs Leech, Hamilton, and Bake were appointed a c mmit'ee to go through the accoun's. Mr. Hamilton brought, up the qu slion of representation. It w s absolutely unfair that fif'een m Q n s'o'di have thrt pewer of 150. Mr. Tate be'ieved in pop"it : ooiit" representation, a\y one del»eate for 30 members, and two for 100 a-d up wards. Mr. Glass thought, the m'n'mum suggested by Mr. Tt Q was too 1 w ; it should have bren fixed at, 50. Mr. Tate said if the minimum was fixed at 50, small isolated settlements would be shut out. The amendment was lost,

■Mr Forsyth moved : '• That for every' branch with a membership of 30 or jnore there be a delegate, such delegate to have a vote for evtry hundred members or pji tiou of a hundred." PLATFORM. Oh Mr. Astbur j's motion, the meetpr ceed-'d to discuss tke provincial of the Union. Mr llolden la'sed the question whether it h d bten necessary to supply mi morandum and articles of atso ciat.iori when the Union was regis'ercd ui der the Unclassiflod Societies Act. , Mr. Gl.isa said 'he o'.jocts and ru'e form l d the articles of association. Any amendments in th uules woald bi registered, so far as be understood, wi'lv ut costs. He went through the list of objects of the Union explaining in pas ing. He pointed out that if tno candidates for tbe Pa*liament'lry honuurs were in favour of promoting the inter't,ts of farmers, then the f irmers might vote «s they liked, but if one wai against thcsi interests then the Union should support it rn'y oace. Mr Leech objected to the Union mambe s being pledged to any particuiar candidate. That was a system of compulsion he could not agree with. Mr. Astbury urged tho striking out of the por'ion of tho pi itorm. M.r Mirsh thought i he Union should consider local us v ol! as general politics. M''. Ma- x moved that should meis ures b'tome liw aff-nting the Union's inte ests p ejudicially, or in noti-com-p i<nctt with its just requests, then the Unkn a'lvifes the memb ri to vote only for Union candidates at the nextj gent ral election or bye election, The motion was pas ed. The Feve. al clauses in the provisional platform wero tak-n seriatim. On clans-1, Mr Macrae mov*d an addi'ion : That grants nnad • by Pirliinrnt f. r the cats ruction of roads and brides be handed ever to the local bodies inbiN sted for expenditure as s oil as noti s hive passe j the Iloii'eof Representatives.

Mr. Blaku krew an instance where tlie Gorernm-n t g ant id £BOO, and vlienthe Pxpenses w ro taken out £l2 was huv'e 1 over to th • local beidips. On. Cl-iiisa 2 : " Th it the value upon Crown lauds b<s the actual va'u9 of a i compe'ent valuer, and not., as a' present', the s-irvevore's value," Mr. McClugs,ag! m vel tint iha piragraph be tttu.k out. Ha urged that fhe surveyor who surveyed the land knew mote of the vilue of the land than the so caHed "competent" valuers—Mr Wilkie seondad tha motion, and endorsed Mr McCluggage's rtmirks. Tho paragraph was struck ou k . In paragraph 2 of the ssme clause: " Sit tiers on back country Crown lands bi a'lowed five y«nrV occupa'ion free," Mr. Smith that two years be ins3rted inteid 0 f five.—Mr. Foreman voiced tha opinion t.hit if they asked mything, it sh:.u|j be something esonablo. Tha term wrs fixed a* 'wo years. The paragraph " The old Homestfad Act be revived, f specially |wi'h rpg-ird to the North,' was pissed. —The suggestion " That settlers with right purchase to p>y same interest ins'ead rf r mt as leasi in perpetuity," was rpposrd by Metsra. Lsech Astbury. ind Wilkie. Mr. McOlujgige said in Whargamomona fome of them had to pay 20 pr cent.—Mr. Astbury moved th it the clause be expunged. Seconded by Mr. McClnggage and carried.—Mr. Richardson moved, that the d ferred payment system be re-intrcduced. Seconded by Mr. Fryd»y.—Mr. Aatbuty (illumed to thi ridicu'ous tenure of the 999 years' lease, but those who had tak«n up the land under that syswm had done- so with their eyes open, They had entered into an engagement with t u e State, and should curry out their part of it. Mr. McOluggase said what trou 1 led some settlers wai tho tinkftiinj wi'h the laws. Messrs' Hamilto", Blak', and Maorea supprfced tho provis-o' l , which was retaimd.— lie paragraph, "No* land to bo taken cornpul-iory while .are native and Grown hnds in th l ? hands ef t'.o Government. Mr. F irsyth lmveil (hit the pmgrnph be out. Secondod by Mr. Leech. Tli'i p-ovision wai del-tod.—Tha sentences "that the Government also fall a chain wide nn their side of all division fences between their 1 rinds and of set'le s"; and "that the Governmenl-, pay thei- half of all boundary fences, and then charge the incoming purchaser or "tenants of lands affected as taken up," wer.> pisied. Mr S uitli move l , and Mr Friday seco d d, tha l ; all crown tenants taking up addi'ional land in the back Mocks be exempted from the ep- ration of the reside it ial c'aus\—Messrs McO'uggfige and At>tbury fpake strongly ngiiofct the motion. Mr Dive moved, that in the opinion of this meeting the Government be urged to th'ow open for eeifc'enoeot as so in as poss'bls Grown lands in Auekland a?.d other distric's —Cariied,

Mr Bichardstr. brought up the question of deferred payment, and moved that the system bi re-intro-duced. -Seconded by Mr Marsh, Mr Inkster said the deferred payment system w»s oce of the best the colony ever had. There were nineteen systems duiingthe hat eighteen years, he strongly condensed th«"dic >-throwing " systi m. People had been in the colony twenty vears, and had been unable to secure any lard.—Mr Mar-h s<iid about Inglewood people se'tl'-d with only n few penc*; T nglwond was is goo! a little place as c uld bo found, the propities wre goad, and were the skiers own. Mr Forth said it was a m'stiko to have too many systems. He thought the system givicg the righ 1 ; of purchase was a good ore. Mr o!a°s said that under the defered payment sys'em the sjttl'rs got onethird back for ro\da.—Messrs Marx and L r eah held that under th° leise in perpe uity more money was get for roads than under the deferred payment tenure He had lizard on good authority that thote we-e only threa farms on the Plains which were not mortgaged. Where wa= their freehold ? —Mr Foreman said under the deferred payment system the land was loaded bv from 25 to 50 per cent. There was no fidvantage in that.—The motion was loSi by oce vote.