THE FARMERS' PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 81, 14 July 1910, Page 4

THE FARMERS' PARLIAMENT.

YESTERDAY'S MEETING. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Yesterday. The question of the free importation of agricultural implements in relation to their increased cost was discussed at the Farmers' Union Conference to-day. Several speakers declared that the farming community paid twenty per cent, more for agricultural implements than when they were, not on the tree list. It was also asserted that if the Act were repealed, farmers could get their implements at least thirty per cent, lower than to-day. On the other hand it was stated there would be a danger of the local manufacturers being crushed out' if tjhe Act was repealed. A motion was eventually carried that the Agricultural Implements Importation and Sales Act be repealed.

VALUATION OF 'LAND,

Wellington, Last Night. Mr. W. F. Massey, Leader of the Oppo> sition, attended the Farmers' Union Conference to-day, and delivered a brief ad> dress.

Professor Easter field addressed the Conference, urging the necessity of establishing a Chair of Agriculture at Victoria College. A resolution was carried strongly recommending all dairy companies to instal pasteurising plants for the purpose of stamping out disease among cattle and pigs.

The Conference resolved to urge the Government to have qualified veterinary surgeons appointed as stock inspectors, reasonable fees to be charged for professional services. The scheme advocated by Mr. C. J. Reakes, Chief Government Veterinarian, for inspection of stallions, was approved. In response to a communication from the Slaughtermen's Federation, it was decided to recommend that more care be exercised by farmers to see that their sheep are properly cleaned before being sent for slaughter. A motion from Taranaki that land should he taken on annual value at the same rate and with the same exemptions as capital invested in the industries, the annual value to be 5 per cent, of tile .capital value, was referred to the branches, the Taranaki jxecutive to draw up a statement of the position. It Avas decided to object to the present method of the Government in valuing land, inasmuch as some valuers do not personally inspect lands and improvements} also to recommend that valuers be appointed from local bodies to work in conjunction with Government valuers; also that valuation of all lands of the Dominion should be made periodically' with not less than four years between such periods.

It was resolved that loan moneys spent by local bodies and by companies be credited by Government valuers to improvements instead of to unimproved value as at present. The Conference passed a resolution against the. proposal to remit taxation on city lands when taxation on country lands is retained.

Resolutions were passed that taxation through the Customs should be for the puurpose of revenue, not protection, and that all attempts to increase the pr<h tective duties be strenuously opposed; that the Premier he congratulated on his decision to follow Lord Kitchener's advice and raise the age limit of compulsory training to twenty-five years; that the Conference protests against the ' methods adopted by the State Fire Insurance Office in making use of confidential information for extension of it* the Government be asked ft^ P os t» each farmer being supplied with a form to I shovtythe acreage, estimated yield, and I qriairsiLv.;H)n hand from the previous yeaaf tl»kt the sale of unsound or useless nulls for stud purposes should be prohibited; that the Conference regrets that mt<re systematic inspection of dairy herds is not carried out; that the Government be urged to provide more sheep trucks, and that the Union protests against' the use of "L.A." trucks for transport of sheep over long distances..