THE FARMERS' PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 80, 13 July 1910, Page 5

THE FARMERS' PARLIAMENT.

CONFERENCE OF THE FARMERS' , UNION. ' By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Yesterday. The New Zealand Farmers' Union Conference opened to-day, Mr. J. G. Wilson presiding. In the course of his address the chairman specially stressed the importance of agricultural education. "If," he said, "education is as necessary as the nation considers it by making it compulsory, uurely to allow half-educated children to leave school is a mistake. I believe education to be the soul of the nation, and if in Scotland, where .people have exer- ' cised self-denial to starvation point to educate their children, why should not we, in the interests of future generations, insist upon our youths taking full advantage of the education provided by the State. Only a small percentage of youths, will of their own accord take advantage of the means provided, but the time may come when we shall have to say "You must.' A recent speaker said: 'lt is not German Dreadnoughts we have to be afraid of, but the German schoolmaster.'" Referring to the fact that a veterinary college was still non-exjstent, Mr. Wilson said he had come to 'the conclusion that it would be much cheaper and better for students to take advantage of the opportunity of attending veterinary classes under Professor Gilruth in Melbourne than wait for ours to be started. He reviewed the work done by the Farmers' Union, which could fairly . claim to have done something to improve the farmer's lot. I The Minister of Agriculture attended, and briefly addressed the conference.

The conference passed a resolution reiterating its demand that the Land Act be so amended that planks three and eight of their platform dealing with the right to acquire the freehold shall be acted upon, and that vo legislation would be satisfactory to the union that did not embodv these provisions. Wellington. Last Night.

The Farmers' Union Conference passed resolution that State tenants should have the risrht of acauiri:ig the freehold: that the Government, be urged to spend £IOO.OOO annually on re-affores-tation, the money to be spent either bv the Lands Department or in encouraging private individuals to plant suitable trees; that Maori lands should pav the same rates and taxes as European.