FARMERS' UNION CONFERENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 162, 13 July 1903, Page 2

FARMERS' UNION CONFERENCE.

INTERVIEWING MINI3TKR9. 1 FES PRESS ASSOCIATION. Wellington, July 10. During the committee proceedings a motion that the Union should take a • stronger position in politios was lost. In open meeting it was decided not to come to any conclusion this year as to holding a Union Day every year, < 'out the provinces and branches werekfc to act as they considered best in the matter. It was decided that the Wellington Executive be the Executive of the Council, together with the Provincial Presidents. The President said he thought it would be wise to select, next year, a South Island president, and to have the Executive there. The Conference waited on the Premier and laid before him the principal resolutions passed. In the course of his reply, Mr Seddon said the farmers evidently feared results, which he thought would not ensue, from preference of employment to Unionises. His own opinion was that a mm who stood up for his rights was the best man. The desire of the Government was to place Unionists in the same position as they were in und r the first Conciliation Act. The trouble now arose with those who we u not prepared to give a fair day's wage, and penalised men for being Unionists. To bona fide employers unionism was an advantage, as under an award the farmers would be protected against their man making unreasonable demands during harvest. He promised to lay before t'ha Union any Bills affecting the interests of farmers,. If the farmers wished for a special representation of the small farming classes in the Legislative Council, it would be the duty of the Government to give attention to the m\tter. Referring to timber he said thai not a tree or an acre of ground that could be saved for milling purposes in the future would be destroyed. The Conference also waited on Sir Joseph Ward, and put a number of their proposals before him. They appealed for the iesuo of certificates guaranteeing the weight of produce, and that as the weighing of grain in railway trucks was unsatisfactory the threshing machine weights should be the basis of saje. They also thought that more rolling stock should be at the 1 disposal of shippers. Sir Joseph said it was impossible for the D pirtment to give guarantees of , weight. The railway weigh-bridgrs [ were only intended for checking weights for carriage purposes. More- ; over, if the proposals were given effect i to it would dislocate traffic by delaying 1 rolling stock. The proposal to take 1 threshing - machine weights seemed P feasible. In regard to rolling stock, , 1047 new vehicles would be turned otrot the Government workshops by the ( end of the year.' As it was, the huge grain traffio of the South Island could [ be carried over the pajls i» three > months, a thing unpieoedent in the history of the colony. It could not be • expected the Department would carry : lime free for unlimited distances, nor > could anything be done to reduce the freights on produoe over the Canterbury railways.