FARMERS UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7836, 31 May 1905, Page 3

FARMERS UNION.

WELLINGTON PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE. ; ';Bjj WANGANUI, The annual conference of Ssfegates of the Wellington Provincial district of the New Zealand Farmers' Union opened here to-day, Vabout 40 delegates attending. In, his presidential, address, Mr J. G. Wilson referred to the fire insurance scheme, the carrying into effect of which had been delayed # owing to the difficulty about re-insurance. ft had been derided to start without re-insurance, . and in Wellington Province alone £104,000 worth df insurance iha'd been protinsel. The president dealt with the progress of the colon}', which ho attributed to the. remarkable progress of the North Island. He emoted frpm a recent publication to show that there was an increase of over 5000; holdings throughout the colony dur-' ing the,last'' five years, which he ■ said refuted the a'ssertlion as t0... .the increase of large holdings. He said, a great deal of twaddle was talked about the decrease of sheep, pointing out that over 1J millions of lambs were now annually grown anil fattened and sent to England. Though there was a slight decrease.in wool it had brought in about a million more than.the previous year's supply. He maintained that the present prosperity of the Cjlony. was mainly due to the independence and enterprise of the farming .community., lie felt confident that higher prices would be obtained for sheep, this season- than hitherto'.It was resolved .that the Government be urged to so amend the Land Act as to give Crown tenants the option of purchasing the freehold of thc;r land at the Original value, and on payment of the difference between the 4 per cent now charged on lease--m-perpctuity, and the 5 per cent, charged to the tenant with the right of purchase, and back interest on such. It was also resolved that the Colonial Conference appoint a committee to go into the question of the valuation of land. Amotion' was passed to the effect that a committee be set up to go into the question of the Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act as it affects farmers. It was resolved to draw the Government's attention to the promise given to the last Conference that the sheep tax would be removed.