FARMERS' UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 220, 22 October 1909, Page 3

FARMERS' UNION.

DEPUTATION TO THE PREMIER. During the supper adjournment of the House on Tuesday night the Advisory Committee of the New Zealand Fanners' Union, headed bv the prosid'.'iit (Mr. J. 0. Wilson), laid before the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) a number of resolutions which were passed at to? Dominion Conference last July. Briefly, the resolutions were to the effect (lj that the Union expressed its hearty approval of the Dreadnought gift; (2) in favor of universal military training; (3) Maoris to be granted the same privileges as Europeans, and their surplus lands to be bought; (4) land boards to include two representatives o/ the Crown tenants; (5) in favor of discontinuance of the collection of returns of land values; (0) against the imposition of taxation on growing flax; (f) for the proclamation gazetting tiw Ohinemuri and Waihou rivers sludge channels to be rescinded; (8) dairy companies to be granted power to borrow money to lend suppliers for the purpo6 of improving their herds; (9) for State trading enterprises to be placed on an equal footing with private traders in respect to such "operations; (10) for the introduction of a system of through booking in respect of goods between stations and ports in either or both islands, between such other ports and stations as would tend to increase the volume of trade or passenger traffic, between port* in the United Kingdom and the Dominion; (11) that imported timber should be admitted duty free, and that there should not be differential railway rates as between Xew Zealand and imported timber; and (12) that the Government should enquire into the causes of the present slump in the meat market at Home and try to open up a Continental trade.

Mr. Wilson prefaced his remarks by stating that the committee were pleas"d to welcome Sir Joseph on his safe return to the Dominion. As the time for the deputation was limited to a few. minutes he was unable to go into th' various proposals in detail. In regard to the constitution of land boards he remarked that it was impossible for one representative to do justice to the numerous Crown tenants in the Wellington district. The practice of sending out notices to farmers re the value of their land was worthless, as farmers mostly wrote across them that there liad been no alteration, and it was a fact that the Department always took the valuer's assessment. Owing to various rivers having been declared sludge channels large, areas of good farming land were being destroyed. Xo exception, he thought, could be taken to the proposal to allow co-operative companies to lend money to their suppliers to assist them to increase the herds, the loans to be repaid out of the returns for milk. With respect to through booking of goods, Mr. Wilson said it was in force in England and the Continent.

Sir Joseph: It could only be done here if the ferry service were State-owned. In unaking that remark I am not iefleeting on the present conduct of the service. Personally I am ill fayor of the State acquiring the service provided no injury was done to the present proprietary. Mr. Wilson stated in regard to tie importation of timber that the local boilies ciiiild not do without hardwood

timbers for their bridges, etc., and, what was more, they had to pay heavier railway charges on it than on local tini.

Sir Joseph: That is a very important matter. Our own timber industry and the question of employment of our own people must be taken into consideration. When there is talk of reducing rates, as you suggest, it opens the door to turning thousands of our own workers out of employment, and that would injure the farmers, too. Sir Joseph informed the deputation that he would look into the matters which had been brought under his notice, and would give a written reply without delay.