N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81840, 5 September 1906, Page 2

N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE. THE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.

(Per Press Association. Wellington, September 4. A: the annual New Zealand I'ar-n;Ci-3' Union C."rference, the president, m his opci ng speech, gave an exhaustive review of the events of the past year from a farmer's point of view. The year, he said, had been one of the most successful tnat farmers had yet had, and so far as prices were concerned there was nothing' to complain of. Crops had, however, been very uneven, owing to in extremely wet season. A large, quantity of our lambs were coming in 'ate this season, and the very large expected production of fat 'mnbs in Australia this Spring would probably cause prices to ease. It was, he added, satisfactory to note that our flocks had begun to assume their normal numbers again. In regard to butter and cheese, the prospects for the coming- season Beemed good. Still, a great many dairymen were going out of the business owing to the difficulty of getting suitable labour. It had been calculated that £1,000,000 per annum was lost through not properly culling the cows after weighing and testing their milk for months. In the course of a lecture on the sub-

jeet, Mr Cuddie said that a cow should not be tolerated- which re-' turned less than 2oolb in the season, and it was on record in other countries that with proper breeding and . culling 4oolb had been reached. There had been one or two outbreaks of anthrax during the season, but as there was no importation of bones sterilised under Government supervision it could not be attributed to such. The agitation against the importation of bones and in favour of sterilisation under proper supervision in th e colony would, no doubt, awake again as soon as tho first case was reported which could be traced to the imported bones sterilised at the port of shipment under Government officials' observation., Il was, according to their advices, feared that this was,almost certain to occur. In regard to rural education, it was very gratifying to find what a substantial advance had been made, and it was very satisfactory to the Union to see that, as a result of its arousing public opinion on the subject, rural education in schools had been at last recognised as a special subject requiring special men to direct it.' lie could not help thinking that it was very important that instructors of . rural education should visit other countries so that they cou'd compare me.hods elsewhere and adopt what seemed to be suitable to our own requirements. An agricultural college for the North Is'andf and the multiplication of experimental farms were needed in every province. Neither the Levin nor the Momohaki experimental stations were suited for a research station, which should be near the head of the' Department, and a section of it devoted to different subdepartments for purposes of investigation. There was no reason why the Wallaceville laboratory" should not be extended, and he was sure it ivould prive quite suitable for a research station. By and by, Vic-, toria College might institute a course of veterinary science in conjunction with the Veterinary Department, and degrees might be granted. Anyho\v, before that development took place, the stock inspectors could easily go through a course of instruction there. When land was acquired for closer settlement," some portion -of the land should be set apart for experimental purposes. Oil the subject of the tariff, he said be- ; cause of some temporary lull in ■ trade, the cry arose for further pro--1 tectjon. He wondered if. i( evei struck them that the {aru\er was by far the largest manufacturer in the colony ; yp,t one wou'd imagine that those ill the towns, who arc always 1 clamouring for fresh taxation on the land, think the farmer has only to sit at ease while his produce rolls in, and that he has an easy life. The question is, are you to sit quietly by while the townspeople demand that this or that duty shall be remitted, because of the high price of the commodity? If tfyy alluwed that to be d. they would have no weapon to : deal \\\th protectionists when they do-' 1 mandeel an increased duty. If they - really wanted to show some grati tude to the British people, he say, "We will charge you 20 per cent, less than w r o charge Anyone else." He did not despair of seeing

that done. If did that, it would mean a fcccmpense of the enormous sum that Britain spends yearly- to keep the seas safe for oui commerce. On 1 the 'and "tenure question, the Union's contention was that the present leaseholders should have the right of purchasingthe land they occupy at tfce original price, together an amount Vvhicli would make that price equal to that which it would be had the lane) been taken up under "occupation with right of purchase" tenure. If the value was taken at the unimproved present value, they knew : that a great hardship would t?e done, because improvements >yeyo never ■ fairly valued. I* was for the Union to speak Qijt boldly on the subject they had given prominence to, and i t which they were better able to , judge, perhaps, than any other body uf men. With a sense of security, . believed that farmers and land- , holders could do much more were their minds undisturbed by tho con- , stant cry jn towns to specially single . l'> e m out as game to be plucked. . "These continual pin-pricks," said the president, in concuslion, "leave a sense of insecurity, and thcrefcre a brake upon the producers' energies. We re it not for this, I believe a great deal more might have been taken, by propor treatment, from the land, and tho colony would, as a result, have been so much the richer."

OPTION OF THE FREEHOLD. The first discussion was on a remit from Taranaki: That agitation for the option ofthc freehold be prosecuted with \ho utmost vigour. Messrs 3vli:i,>ueen (Invcrcargill), Coc.pcr (Wellington), Foistyh (Pillama-, Leadiey (Ashburton), \\. Clayton (Gisburne), Phillips (Auckland), Middleton (Southland), Grigg (North Canterbury) arid' others supported the. motion, which was carried unanimously! It was that tenants under Icase-in-perpetuity rentals of 4 pei cent, under the Act of 1892 be granted the right of acquiring the freehold, with limitation of area; that all future areas set aside a$ endowments should be offered 'undor the optional tenure of the I, a nd Act; that Crown and Native lands be subject to the same fencing and other regulations as settlers' lands; that, where necessary, the regulations of the Land for Settlement Act be »<■- viscd in order that land may be worked to the greatest profit, at the same time conserving tho value of the lanrl ; that all Native land be individualised as speedily as possible; that restrictions against the o< sale of Native lands be removed, provided that provision is made against aggregation of large estates.