FARMERS' UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 325, 18 January 1909, Page 4

FARMERS' UNION.

TAKANAKI PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE. A meeting of the Taranaki Provincia Executive of the New Zealand Farmer* Jniun was held on Thursday ; preseni -Messrs Maxwell (in the chair), For iytli (fihaina), Davidson (llawera),All uiseii (Kaponga), Jlurrav (Ellham) rad Blair. * THE DAIRY REGULATIONS. A letter was read from Air B. Dive U.P., containing an invitation to a eon terence of representatives of Taranak dairy companies to be held at Stratfovi an January 28 to discuss the propose, lairy regulations. Messrs Murray and Allhuscn wer unanimously appointed delegates to in conference. Mr Davidson said they should stam iip against this poll-tax on every cowit was an iniquitous business. (Heai hear.) Mr Forsyth : We do not object t reasonable regulations, reasonably ad ministered-, and whieh will not press to heavily on a newly-settled country. The Chairman : 1 think it is most in. porlant that we should be careful no to appear to oppose any reasonable n '.'illations ; but we must, be quite satis lied that any new regulations sought I lie imposed will really bonelil. ihe indiis f ry. .11 strikes me the suggested tax i a special one Hint ought to be resented -here is nothing whatever to justify il (Hear, hear.) It is to the interest r farmers that there should be regain lions. Other speakers endorsed the Clinii man's views. PLANK FIVE. Mr Lambie (Opunake), who was al sent from the meeting, was to hav moved, "That the Colonial Secretaryb asked to publish a leallet explainm plank five, whieh reads: 'That taxatio through the Customs should be for th purpose of raising revenue, and not fn protection purposes.'" On the motion of the Chairman, i was resolved, " That the matter be hel over for tin? conshlcratio;i of the n".\ meeting, owing to Mr Lntnbie's absence. FREIGHT OX PIUS AND BACON. Mr J. Ure Murray's letter on this sol j'ect was read as follows ■.--•' A rcdu< tinn in the railway freight cm liucoi both to the Breakwater, New I'lyuiuutl and also to Wellington and intermec iate stations would lie of material lent fit to the dairy farmers of this distriei During the winter fanners in thesout got fid per lb for pork for live pig against our sd, or even the 4d we a-.-now getting. In old times farmers wer netting as low as 2%rt per lb for thei pigs, and co-operative bacon eompauie at IngTc.wood, Kltliam and clsc.wher were started to remedy this stave e things. Those companies are at the pre sent time handicapped thmirgh lo\ rates of freight granted for the carriag of live pigs to Wellington, whilst th railage on bacon remains as high a ever. About 100 per cent less, weigii for weight, is charged for live pigs tlia' for bacon. A live pig can be deliverei in Wellington from Kltliam for a goo. deal less than live carcase of the sam inimal manufactured into bacon. Wei lidgton and Christchureh bacon com panics have had their interest conserve, and nurtured by the Government in tin natter of railway freight. The farminj community would be grateful if th Farmers' Union woiiu uppioaeii tin Government on their behalf, for thong] I am a director of a co-operative baco: company 1 submit that the interests o all dairy farmers are affected."

Mr Hurray explained that he was waiting infonmition from the Inglc■vood company before lie could make a ■nniplete statement on the subject. He said that just now the minds of fanners' are a good deal exercised regarding the price of pork. It was a big item in the income from n dairy farm : bit the local factories were greatly hampered by the. high rate on bacon to New Plymouth ■■vml Wellington, and were in danger of being crushed out by the big Wellington ind Christchurch companies, which practically had the. business conserved for their special benetit by the low rate of freight which they obtained on live pigs. The fanners, in his opinion, were being ►squeezed in a most diabolical way ; ami it would pay them to move the local factories to Wellington. I,ive pigs were taken down for £1 a ton, whereas bacon cost about £2 to carry. ]t was not so much that the freight on bacon should be reduced as that the concession in regard to live weight in favor of the large companies should be done away with. It. enabled ihein to sell in Wclington to the small companies' great ilis-

iclvantago, which wi>rc paying a tax to enable the big companies to get a hig profit and to extinguish the co-operative industry. Tire big companies" bad ' spread the report that the Ellham Bacon Factory was going to be knocked on the hem', and that others would follow suit. He (the speaker) brought this matter up for discussion, as it was a. question of great interest to the farmers, who were feeling the hardships very much. The Covermucut curried ilhe live pig.- below cost price, and the local factories had no help of that kind in regard to bacon. The Chairman said that it was most undesirable that they should go into the matter without as full information as possible, and he was in favor of postponing its consideration until Mr Murray obtained the complete particulars i which he expected from the Inglewood Company. He thought there was more in the matter than appeared on the surface. The question of low freight on pigs was not so much concern as might at first appear. The low freight on live pigs was a benefit to the sellers and with competition tliey were much more likely to get a fair price than otherwise. Competition resulted in a belter class of toon and a. better market for those .vho raised the pigs. Mr Murray maintained that the lowering of the freight on live pigs to Wellington was likely to extinguish the local companies and eventually result 'in lowering the price of pigs .and raising the price of bacon. The. Chairman said it was a matter of about 2s a pig. and that there were other directions in which more than 2s a pig might easily vanish. Two shillings a pig was not going to kill the local factories if th'ey could compete in other points. On the motion of the Chairman, further consideration of the question was held over until the next nioelin"-. JONES-JOVAXS Fl'XI). " A vote of thanks was passed to the Opunake branch for its generous donation ( £i) to the Jom-s Evans fund. It was resolved that anv furl her subscriptions received be forwarded bv the Secretarv.—Star.