FARMERS' UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 383, 7 May 1910, Page 5

FARMERS' UNION.

SOME LIVE QUESTIONS. By Telegraph—Press Association. I Dunedin, Last Night. | The annual meeting of the Otago branch of the N.Z. Farmers' Union was held to-day. The president (Mr. G. H. Stewart) said the pn-rnt s-stem of land taxation and va'nu;-.; ,i: r: - "Kiught, o:i the whole, was saiisi'a ■ ■■:■ . Although there had been a great deal of complaint abo'iit mistakes that; had arisen, they were mainly due ro ihe valuers rather than the system. He sincerely wished the farmers of New Zealand could be induced to take up the question of afforestation. He felt as much could be done for Otago Central by afforestation as by pushing. on the the railway. He congratulated the Prime Minister on his statements at Winton regarding defence, and said he hoped the Leader of the Opposition would reconsider his objection to increasing the age limit. The report was adopted. Mr. Stewart was re-elected president, and Mr. Orbell vice-president. Motions were passed as follows: That this branch are of opinion that more prominence should be given to the teaching of geography and grammar in thr primary schools, and that a deputation wait upon the Education Department' on the matter; that the Union draw the attention of the Government to the amount of gorse in riverbeds in different parts of the Dominion, and also to the amount of sweet briar on on some of the sheep country, and that i,ho Government be asked to devise some means of clenriiis the same or causing it to be cleared: that L.T.P. tennnts be given the freehold at original valuation, plus 1 per cent: and that all renewable leases under the Land for Settlements Act should have the option of the freehold at valuation, less improvements.