FARMERS' UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 September 1920, Page 8

FARMERS' UNION.

TARANAKI EXECUTIVE MEETING. The usual monthly meeting of the executive of the Taranaki Farmers' Union was 1 Id at Hawera on Thursday, Mr. E. Dunn presiding. A QUESTION OF PROCEDURE. In respect to a reply sent by Mr. Buckeridge to a request from the Omata branch for Mr. Deem to give an address on green feeding, the president suggested that in future, instead of branches making individual requests for such addresses, they should come through the executive. Mr. Maxwell moved: "That the secretary be requested to write to all branches, pointing out that as the executive is the central organisation representing all the branches, all communications with the Government, Government' officials, Dominion secretary, or in fact anyone or body outside branches/ should go through the execu-* tive, and not direct, unless it is dealing with some purely local matter wliich in no way concerns the rest of the Union. The above is the recognised course, and should not be departed from." Seconded and carried. I MEAT TRUST LICENSES. Speaking to the resolution passed at a previous meeting protesting against export licenses being given to Armours, Vesteys, or other mjembers of the American Meat Trust, the chairman said that it was remarkable that all the Farmers' Unions were not of the one mind on this matter; some branches down South had passed resolutions suggesting that they be given yearly licenses. In this district; they were ail out solidly against licenses being granted to the Meat Trust, and tho withholding of such licenses would not necessarily prevent meat going to America. If the Meat Trust wished to secure New Zealand meat for consumption in America they could buy f.o.b. at any of freezing works without operating themselves in this country. But apparently they were endeavouring to get control. Mr. Maxwell considered that the resolutions passed down South were tho result of want of knowledge on the one part and the amount of argument on the other side. Mr. Owen remarked that recently six or seven steamers from New Zealand were lying in the Thames waiting to unload meat, whilst other steamers from the Argentine went straight to the docks and unloaded without any delay. PAY OF IMMIGRANTS. A letter was received from the Department of Immigration, relative to the scheme for granting free passages to lads from 17 to 20 years of age who were willing to take'work as farm labourers, some of them having farm experience. An expression of opinion from the branch regarding' this proposal, was asked for, also the approximate number of youths under this scheme that could lie absorbed in this district." The president moved: "That this executive is entirely in sympathy with the proposal to bring to this country lads o,f 17 to 2(1 years of age, and is of the opinion that there is a very great need for good lads of this class."— Seconded by Mr. Orr and carried. DAIRY PRODUCE AND WHARF LABOURERS. Tito chairman referred to a rumour that wharf labourers had decided to refine to load part of this season's dairy produce, and considered it most unreasonable that any one section of the community, and especially civil servants, should now turn round and declare any of the Dominion's produce "block." - ' tanners a*ked nothing but the market vaj;ie for their produce. The laborer had hi* labour to sell, and lie was out to get the best price he could for it. Why. therefore, should he object to the farmer gelling the market value for his produce. It was altogether unreasonable. Butter concerned only one section of the community; other' brunches of the dairy industry had a free market, but attempt* at equalisation of the prices of the two products had resulted in failure in the past. The only way was to take out of the Consolidated Revenue tho difference between any local price tliat may be iixed ami the market value.

Voices: ''That is grossly unfair and wrong in principle."

Continuing, the chairman did not see that the farmers could take anv steps, even in the waj of organising" in the meantime to combat the possible hold up of produce in Wellington. Mr. Max-well was not sure that the chairman was right in that view, and he questioned if it were not a duty that devolved upon every member of the community, whether farmer or not, to guard against such a contingency. The chairman: I would not obstruct the thinking out of some scheme of organisation that could be brought quickly into operation,

Mr. Maxwell considered that they must look beyond the immediate question affecting butter and cheese; they must have regard to the broader question of one section of the community threatening to hold up the Government, and law and order, in order that they may be specially favored. If the Government did not know that they had the strong moral support of.a good' majority of the community behind them there jvas a fear that they may give way, and if they did so on this 'occasion—which would probably be only one of many—the whole social structure would fall, and they would then reach a state of chaos. During the war period the wharf laborers threatened that v if butter went be.yond a certain price they would strike, and owing to the "exigencies of the time the Government gave way, sinucrely believing they were-'adopting the best course at the time. But we were not now at war, and it was improper that one section of the community should desire to get certain commodities at a cheaper rate, for which the whole of the taxpayers would have to pay if the difference were taken out of the consolidated revenue. Workers had had their wages increased in accordance with the increased cost of living, but in addition to this they now demanded that certain commodities should be sold to them at less than market value. If the Government gave way on a principle such as this it was difficult to say where it would all end. It was therefore the duty of everyone to give moral support to the Government in support of law and order 1 ersonally he was prepared to go w.ttiout a single cheque-this season rather than give way, on this matter. Thov must now fight the matter out as to whether one section of the community Avasgomg to be allowed to do this sort " f thll )g ° r " ot - The effect would react beyond the farming community; these [man were hitting at the butter ju«t now!

but later on they would hit at the commercial section of the community if they considered it to their advantage to do so. Mr. Owen: These men practically say that the seat of Government is going to be transferred from Parliament Buildings on to the wharves. Air. Hodge: And then the sooner.it is shifted further out into the ocean the better. Mr. Maxwell, continuing, remarked that the men on the wharves had had every demand met; the railway employees had had very substantial rises in their wages made in accordance with the cost of living, but they now wished' to prevent the farmer getting market value for his produce, entirely overlooking the enormous increase in the :ost of production, the risks they ran,, and the losses in stock they had suffered. The returned soldiers who had taken up land would require the utmost they could get out of their produce to live, but those fellows on the wharves, who are earning 3s 4<l an hour, demanded a tribute from the soldier-farmer, who probably was not averaging more than from 3d to Cd •an hour for his work. He (the speaker) would guarantee to go down to the wharves in either Auckland or Wellington and do the work of four men there without extra exertion, and leaving out the matter of thieving that was going on.