FARMERS’ UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 April 1921, Page 8

FARMERS’ UNION.

PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE YESTERDAY’S MEETING. The Taranaki Provincial Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union met at Hawera yesterday. Present: Messrs. R. Dunn (president), F. Mills, E. Maxwell, D. L. A. Astbuty, H. Hodge, T. W Owen, F. Swindlehurst, B. O. Ward, and G. H. Buckeridge (secretary).

Mr. L. K. Tarrant, secretary of the Ngaere branch, wrote stating* that at a meeting of the branch on March 31. it was unanimously decided that Saturday was not a suitable day for the halfholiday as far as the farmers were concerned. It was also decided that the executive see to it that farmers not members of the union be not allowed to insure at the same rate as members. It was further reported that the branch was willing to arrange for a lecture to be given on. tree-growing.—The letter was received, members being of the opinion that the union could not take any action regarding the matter of insurance.

The secretary reported that a number of branches had expressed their willingness to make arrangements for lectures on forestry, but most of them desired that the lectures be given not earlier than May. Mr Mills said that in connection with the boys’ and girls’ agricultural clubs the Stratford people were taking considerable interest in the movement and desired to see such clubs established there, but the difficulty was that the Stratford branch of the union was now defunct

Mr. Buckeridge: “That ought to be a good reason for getting the branch reestablished.” Mr. Buckeridge added that to be a branch in Toko as well and it only required someone to give the matter a lead. Mr. Mills said the chairman of the Taranaki Education Board had mentioned thqt he would like to see boys’ and girls’ clubs throughout Taranaki and had suggested that the various A. and P. societies should take the matter up. He ’(Mr. Mills) replied that the proper authority to take the matter up was the Farmers’ Vnion. He had advised the Education Board to get into touch with Mr. Washer, who could lend assistance as far as New Plymouth was concerned.

A brief discussion took place regarding the recent demonstration given by the Jersey Breeders’ Association, Mr. Owen suggesting that the union should congratulate that association on the work it was doing. Other members expressed the view that the matter was outside the scope of the union, whiich did not hold a brief for any particular breed, although it recognised that the enterprise of the Jersey Breeders’ Association was doing a great amount of good for tli<t particular breed. The hope was expressed that other breeders’ associations would also take the matter up, more especially the question of instructing the school children In the points of the ddiryi cow. The secretary mentioned that a meeting was arranged to be hold on Saturday morning In connection with the boys’ and girls’ clubs, when the delegates would meet Mr. Deem. •Government instructor, and arrange the schedule of prizes for ‘ the • juvenile competitions at the Hawera Winter Show. As showing how the movement was spreading, he mentioned that he had received a letter from Waikato asking for information as to how the clubs were conducted. The executive 'decided to find the necessary money for the district prizes for school plots competition' in connection with the Winter Show. A committee consisting of the president and'Messrs. Maxwell, Mills, Owen, Astbury and the secretarv was set up to formulate remits for the provincial conference to be held at Eltham on May