FARMERS' UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 306, 19 May 1913, Page 6

FARMERS' UNION.

TARANAKI PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE. r . The Taranaki Provincial District Co: . ference was continued at Eltham oil tl , evening of Thursday, when the Mlo\ nig business was transacted:— ! TAX ON MOTOR CARS. ( -Mr. Swindlehurst proposed oil beha , ot the To lloti, branch, "That legislatio ; 1)0 I nlt 0,1 the Statute liook providin ! t,mt tlie Government .tax all motor car; and the taxes be handed over to low bodies."—Air. Washer .seconded. , Mr. Buckeridge said they would b l )a .Viiig .to the local bodies twic over. There were several tollgates i this district through which motor ca owners contributed lo the local bodiesMr. Hunter thought .thin was class tax ( ation, which should not be countenancei --•Mr. Maxwell said lie did not conside that it wan a class tax, but it was , very ill-advi3cd motion. Motor vehicle were the coming means of locomotion and they should, not hamper it.—Th motion, was lost. LAND TENURE. Mr. G. Looney (Opunake) in movim the following motion, said there was m tenure to compare with the freehold:That this branch still upholds the free hold tenure of land as being the bes both for the State and the individual.' Mr. Swindlehurst seconded, and de clared that anyone conhj pick a lease hold farm or a freehold in many parts o the country.—The motion was carried. DISPOSAL OF CROWN LANDS. Mr. Looney then put the following motion, also,forwarded from Opunake:— "That the encouragement given to gamb ling by the present system of the dis posal of Crown Lands by ballot be dis continued, and as an alternative the sys tern of tender be-adopted." He believec there was much room for improvemenl in this direction. The individual win secured the land at the ballot was nol always the man who really wanted tc farm it.—Mi'. Lambie seconded, strongl\ supporting Mr. Looney's argument.—Mr Dunn said it was a ballot both ways. Hi was in favour of 'caving it as it was Mr. Uuckeridge said while he did nol agree with the' present system of'ballot ing, yet with the restrictions that hat recently come into force he could nol see how they were going to improve upon it. He would have to oppose tin remit. There were many who had prove< excellent settlers that would have beei unable to get- the land under tender.— Mr. Maxwell supported the remit, as h< thought that nothing could ■ be worst than the present system. He had hat experience of .the tendering system oi the West Coast, and they had'not fallei out with it there.—Mr. Virgin also op posed the remit. The present system wai not so bad as it used to be and was a: good as they could get.—The motion wa , lost by 7 to 5. TARIFF. Mr, Looney said that plank 5 wa that taxation through the Custom should be for the purpose of raising rc venue and not for Protective purposes 'He moved as follows:—"That more at tention be given to plank 5 of the Un ion platform, and that any alteration ii the tariff be in the direction ,of givin; less protection and more revenue."—Mr Lambie said this being a plank in thei platform they could only support it. Hi would second the proposition. What in terest, he asked, was there in the colon) that could afford to be fleeced at the expense of another. It would always fal back on the farmer. The motion was then carried unanimously. IMMIGRATION. Mr. Looney said the scarcity of labor was a very serious matter, and he moved as follows for the Opunake branch;— "That in order to further h'.cre.ise the production and exports of X;w r<'-«knd a steady increase of workers of prod character is absolutely necessary, and that the Union fully endorse the action of the Government in giving assistance to immigrants of this class."--Mr. Washer strongly supported.—Mr. Buckeridge mentioned that farm labourers were very scarce in the Old Country, Precautions should be taken to secure the most desirable immigrants—The motion was then carried. WHITE PINE. Mr. Maxwell proposed: "That tlie conference consider the advisability of imposing an export duty on white pine with a view to its conservation for our own use, as it is the only native timber that is recognised as suitable for butter boxes," This, he said, was a most important question, but they had a very easy remedy in planting insignus, the most rapid-growing tree in the world. They were faced with a very serious difficulty, for each particular district had , to produce, the timber for its own re quirements. He urged them to give it every consideration.—Mr. Looney seconded, Mr. Buckeridge also strongly supported —Mr. Lambie supported, but with reluctance, as they were otherwise against all export duties.—Mr. Dunn agreed with Mr. Lambie.—The proposition was carried unanimously. ELECTION POLLS. Mr. Maxwell then proposed that the term of office of all members of local governing bodies be three years, and that the poll for these elections be taken on the same day.—Mr. Swindlehurst seconded, and it was carried. STABLING TERRITORIALS' HORSES. Mr. Swindlehurst ■ proposed:—"That the Hon. Minister for Defence be asked to favourably consider the matter of refunding the cost of stabling the horses of territorials and cadets who have to come from a distance of over two miles on horse back on parade." —Mr. Capper seconded. —Mr. Virgin thought that as time went on the military training would have to be modified quite a lot.—Mr. Swindlehurst thought that perhaps the Government could erect a shed for the horses, or meet them in some way.—The proposition was carried. HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD. Mr. Capper proposed:—"Tliat the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards pub lisli a statement or balance-sheet -annually for the use of ratepayers." TT" said he understod that it had been decided to raise £30,000 for the erection of a hospital at New Plymouth, and the ratepayers had not been consulted at all on the matter.—Mr. Orr seconded, saying tlieir was certainly room for alteration. —Mr. Maxwell agreed with the proposal. As a member of the New Plymouth Board he must say that the ratepayers' interests were given very close attention, but the whole system was undoubtedly vicious. Some cases were most deserving and were not helped, while under the law they were bound to support many absolutely criminal cases. Tt was quite correct that many had to pay twice over; having to pay rates and also to go into the hospital—Mr. Lambie said it seemed to him that there was no prospect of remedying this evil. He considered that to improve matters at all thev would have to separate hospitals and charitable aid boards, and lie further considered that an amount should be deducted from the earnings of anyone receiving free treatment.—Mr. Capper said Mr. Massey at. Tnglcwood promised them a "square deal" and he hopetl they would get it. —The motion was then carried. CO-OPERATIVE ORGANISATION SOCIETY. Mr. Buckeridge reported that the Farmers' Co-operative Organisation of

New Zealand had now been put on a sound footing ami was making good progress. Although obtaining but scant encouragement at first, the Society was now going ahead strongly.—The Chairman proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Buckeridge for the -assistance he had given them and for providing the room for the inciting that day.—Votes of thanks were also passed to the retiring President (Mr. Davidson), the Chairman (Mr. Hunter), the Hrn. Auditor (Mr. Voullaire), and the Press.—Argus.