N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 103, 21 October 1911, Page 8

N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

TAIIAXAKr EXKCUTIVK MEETtXC!. The monthly mooting of the Taranaki Provincial Executive of tlie Farmers' Union took place on Thursday, when there were present: Messrs. J. W. Jones (chairman), R. Lambie, W. liogers, K. Marfell, J. Swindlehurst, \V. Cleaver, J. Davidson, J. Thomson, A. Voullaire, K. Dunn and J B. Sim (secretary). SHEEP-SMEARING CLASSES. Mr. Browjie, director of teclmical education under the Wanganui Education Board, waited on the executive in reference to the initiation of shearing classes in connection with the Hawera Technical school. There should, Mr. Browne said, be no difficulty in starting these classes provided a suitable instructor eould be got. He asked for an expression of opinion from those present as to the advisability of the suggestion, and their advice as to details concerning. the obtaining of a suitable 'instructor and sheds. The intention was to devote a whole day to each lesson. It was resolved that the chairman and Messrs. A. Hunter, J. Davidson and the secretaTy be a committee to assist the technical director in the formation of these classes. CORRESPONDENCE.

The Dominion secretary wrote advising that the banks doing business in New Zealand could not see their way to extend their Saturday closing hour until 1 p.m.-r-Rcceivcd. Mr. W. Swadling wrote resigning his membership of the executive on account of the meetings clashing with those ol the New Plymouth Harbor Board. He suggested the name of Mr. J. Crowley, Kaponga, as. a suitable successor to him. —Mr Svvadling's resignation was accepted with regret, and it was resolved to request Mr. Crowley to accept the vacant position on the executive. Messrs. Jennings, Pearce, and Okey, M.'sP., wrote in answer to the executive's communication re the Seeds Sale Control Bill, promising attention to the executive's wishes when the Bill came before Parliament.

A quantity of branch correspondence

of a routine nature was read without discussion. A letter of thanks is to be forwarded to the Kaponga branch for its donation of £2 to the executive's funds. AUCTIONEERS' CHARGES. Three replies were received from different auctioneers doing business in the district to the executive's query as to why rates of commission charged on the sale of dairy stock in the yards should be higher than on dry stock. The tone of the replies was to the effect that dairy cows, being usually sold singly, took more time to dispose of; also that the financing of purchasers of dairy stock involved longer credit and was more risky than in the case of dry stock. The net commission earned, it was stated, proved less in the. case of dairy stock owing to the greater expense entailed in yarding and selling. The chairman said that the remit had originally read that dairy cows sold in | lots of five or more should not be subject to higher commission tiian dry stock. The auctioneei-s, he felt sure' would never consent to a rebate when cows were sold singly. The secretary explained that the j words "five or more" had been struck I' out by the last meeting, whether purposely ov not he could not say, but the motion had been passed as conveyed to the auctioneers. The chairman said it was a pity, but that the matter would j have to stand now.—The letters were re- , ceived. I RURAL SCHOLARSHIPS.

The. Wangiinui Education Board wrote in reference to the .establishment of. rural scholarships at its high schools, and asked the executive in connection with other bodies of a similar nature in the district to provide a scholarship of the annual value of £lO to enable one pupil in each of the three districts to continue his secondary course for a period of at least two years.

Mr. Lambie moved that the Union donate £n per annum for this purpose. Mr. 'Lambie subsequently requested that his motion he altered to read that members of the executive guarantee to subscribe £5 annually towards a rural scholarship. The motion as altered was carried, on the casting vote of the chairman, who explained that no one need subscribe unless agreeable to do so. The amount guaranteed by the resolution was immediately subscribed by those present-, several who had voted against the motion on principle cheerfully contributing a proportion of the amount. THE UNION AND POLITICS. In reference to a statement made recently in a letter by .Mr. G. P. Wake in .the Hawera Star, to the eflfccfc thWt branches of the Farmers' Union were committees for Opposition candidates, the following resolution was carried unanimously, on the motion of Messrs. Voullaire and Davidson:—

''That this executive is surprised at the incorrect statements made by Mr. G. P. Wake in the Hawera Star" (September 10) and by Mr. O'Dea from the public, platform, that the branches of the Farmers' Union were election committees for Opposition candidates,' and desires to give the statement an emphatic denial; also to warn electors against misleading statements of this kind, and to remember that the Union is non-party in polities." In expressing his sympathy with the resolution, Mr. Lambie voiced his conviction that there were many supporters of the •Government amongst the members of the Union, and persons who should know better were greatly to be blamed for making such misleading statements. Mr. Jones said that at the Union's Dominion Conference strong Government and Opposition supporters were workink hand-iu-hand. The Union was strictly non-party, and it was slander to say otherwise. Though in Tarana'ki the Union had found it necessary to support Opposition candidates, it was because that course was necessary in order to work for the interests of the primary producer, and the Union supported those whom it believed would advance those interests best, irrespective of party. Mr. Dunn proposed as an amendment that a letter fully explaining the Union's political platform and denying the statements be written by the secretary and inserted in the Hawera Star. This was accepted by Mr. Davidson as an amplification of his motion, and was carried. The executive then went into committee to consider the replies forwarded by a number of Parlimentary candidates to questions submitted to them by the executive. On resuming it was reported that it had been decided to publish] the questions submitted, and replies to them forwarded by the candidates for Egmont and Patea, and that the answers of the candidates for Stratford and Taranaki be published on receipt of replies from all candidates not later I than 28th inst. The report was adopted. I —Hawera Star.