FARMERS' UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1916, Page 7

FARMERS' UNION.

TARANAKI EXECUTIVE MEETING'

The Taranaki executive met on .Thursday in Hawera, when there were present: Messrs 1!. Dunn (chairman), 0. H. Bitckeridge, E. Maxwell. W. Diifl'. R. I.ambic, I". Mills, E. Washer, H. Hodge, it. Maekie, and J. Swindlehurst. LABOR FOR HARVESTING. A communication was received from the Riverlea branch of the Union in reply to the executive's memo., statinu that they had come to the conclusion that they would be able to manage themselves in the matter of labor for lis l vesting. ~ .■ The Department of Agriculture and Industries sent a circular letter meniticniiig that a suggestion had been msdp that, the services of secondary school pupils should be invoked to assist, if necessary, in harvesting pnerations during the coming season. There v/ere 3000 boys and 1 2500 girls who could be utilised for the purpose. The Fen. Mr Myers had had an opportunity of discussing the matter with the headmasters of the Wanganui, Wellington and Christ's College, who said that if an intimation were made to them in time thev? felt sure that the pupils would be only too anxious to show their patriotism by putting in their holidays harvesting Presumably, farmers with sons at the schools would have first call on their services.

The chairman, speaking with regard to the Department-of Agriculture's suggestion that college students could ,bc employed in the assisting of harvesting, said that as there was little harvesting done in Taranaki there would not be a shortage of labor; farmers would pro : biiblv be able to get their crops and Imy it' with the assistance of neighbors. He moved that a reply he sent to the [Department, thanking it. for its letter and pointing out that the executive did not consider there would bo any serious shortage in regard to labor for harvestin' in Taranaki. .Mr. Washer seconded the motion.

Mr. Mills suggested that the boy students could be employed in weeding for farmers. which would be a valuable help. Mr. Maxwell emphasised that this was a dairying'district and he did know there was a shortage of labor in this particular industry, so much so that farmers had br.cn unable this year to sow any crops The motion was agreed to. and the si ggestion made by Mr. Mills (that boys ci. nld do weeding) was embodied in tin resolution. NOTICE OF MOTION,

Mr. Bucke.ridge gave notice of the following motion for consideration at the next, meeting: "That with a view to thfc proper safeguarding of the interests of tiic producers in the Dominion, the time lvis arrived when they should be represented by a united body of members in the House of Representatives pledged to protect those interests first of all. and that in order to promote the organisation of such a party the members for Tr..ranaki be requested to support the movement, and to take any steps that r- noec"arv to originate the formation ot such a party amongst members now in Ihe House."

In speaking to the motion, Mr. Bucl:cridgc said that when they saw the movements that were taking place in regard to other organisations they must nnlise that, unless the whole of those vho were interested as primary producers in the Dominion were similarly organised, they must succumb to forces that were organised. It was regrettable that it should be necessary to take such a. step at a time when the Empire was engaged in a life and death struggle v : th outside enemies, but events within the past few weeks or months made it clear that it was time the producers woke up to a sense of their danger by reason of the-'Oxis'tence of the organised forces already at work in the Dominion threatening the bringing in of legislation that would be detrimental, not only to producers, but to tbe Dominion as a whole. It was most necessary that producers should so organise that they could influence legislation in the House. Individual effort''was useless, but the strong backing of all the farmers, organised throughout New Zealand, would be a strong factor, and would make its voice heard in the House. The farmers' Union was supposed to eschew p;.'itics, but whilst they were not an organisation for the purpose of supporting eHlier one political party or the other, thc-y were essentially a political organisation. The reason for 'their existence v.as the defence ot their principles.

BUTTER-FAT LEVY. A letter was received from the Hon. Mi. MaeDonald with reference to the bi.Uer-fiit levy. It appeared by pome inadvertence that the resolution passed at the previous meeting in regard to the levy, had nut been forwarded to the Minister, v lu'cli Mr. Maxwe.'l regretted. Mr. Max'well spoke at length 011 the question on similar lines to his address given previously, and said the farmers as n community were prepared to make any sael'fiee at the present time, but they had gcod reason for considering that the butter levy was an unjust imposition upon a certain class of the community. It was decided that a copy of Mr. Maxwell's remarks re butter-fat he forwarded to the Hon. Mr. Allen and the Fon. Mr MaeDonald, with an explanation that it should have accompanied the letter sent to the Hon. Mr. Allen, and that in the letter to the Hon. Mr MaeDonald it be stated that the executive refrain from any further remarks at present, as the executive can lnirdly suppose that Mr. MaeDonald would have written to the executive as he did bad he perused the precis of Mr. Maxwell's remarks, which embody the executive's opinion and conviction of the position and of the injustice and lack of wisdom of the butter-fat levy." VOTE OP SYMPATHY. A vote of condolence was passed to Mr.. C A. Wilkinson, if.P., in his benavement, the motion being carried in silence.