FARMERS’ UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 August 1922, Page 7

FARMERS’ UNION.

TARANAKI EXECUTIVE. Thp month]v meeting of the Tfirnnaki provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union was held oh Friday. The president reported that he and Mr. Dunn had attended the Dominion conference nf the Farmers’ Union at Wellington, The Taranaki executive had sent down a remit to the effect, that, valuations of land should be made at stated intervals, and that valuations should be held over until they could all come Into force at the same time. This remit was taken as a basis for .the others, and the principle of it was affirmed.

A remit was forwarded by the Wairarapa executive to the effect that the value allowed for improvements is not equitable. There is not sufficient allowance made for improvements, and as a result the unk/nproved valuation is too high. This remit was carried.

Another remit tn the effect, that the super tax on land should bp cut out, as it was a war measure, was also carried.

The remit which came from the Mangatokl branch and was fairly fully discussed aimed at. the distribution of the land tax between the mortgagor and the mortgagee in proportion to their respective interests in the unimproved value of the land. The reunit. was not altered hy the committee, and it came before the conference in its original form. The president (Mr. Mills) said that he did his best in connection with it, and although the conference nt, first took the matter as something of no consequence. Interest was properly aroused before he finished his speech. The remit was discussed fairly fully, and the one objection that the Taranaki executive had anticipated had been raised, namely, that the tax paid by the mortgagee would be passed on. in the form of a higher rate of interest. The only other point was that when the moratorium was ■ lifted tn 16 mionths’ time any restriction of this kind would make it more difficult to raise money to pay mortgagees. Finally the remit was referred to the Dominion exeeutive, so that it had got further this time than ever before.

The question of rural banks was also brought up, when the following remit was forwarded by the Hawke’s Bay executive: “That the Government be asked to adopt, in any legislation they may bring down, the principles of the Bavarian agricultural banks In so far as they may he applicable to New Zealand, cotmbinlng as they do the functions of long-term land mortgage and short-term credit associations, and that this conference earnestly urges upon the Government that It should set up a committee, on which the Farmers’ Union would be adequately represented, to consider such banking legislation.— The remit was adopted.

A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the president and Mr. Dunn for attending the conference end furnishing the executive with such an excellent report.

The Southland provincial executive wrote enclosing a petition to Parliament, which was being signed by farmers, with a view to having the farming interests exempt from the Arbitration Court Acts. The petition stated that the system in vogue with commercial firms, whereby increased costs (whether of wages or material) were passed on to the buyer, was impossible when applied to farm production, since produce values were governed by the world parity prices. New Zealand farmers were therefore in competition with European and Asiatic labor conditions, which were much less favorable to Tabor than those ruling here. Also, weather conditions rendered the cast iron rules laid Sown by the Arbitration Court awards governing hours of labor inapplicable to farm work, and if persevered in would surely strangle production. The petitioners were desirous to do their very best to increase the production of the Dominion, hut threatenedi as they were on the one side by uncertain weather and on the other by adverse Arbitration Court awards, the prosperity of the Dominion through extra production so fervently hoped for would, they feared, be seriously jeopardised. They therefore asked for legislation exempting all primary farming industry from liability to Conciliation and Arbitration Court Acts, leaving to them that freedom of contract with their employees which had been hitherto not only satisfactory, but successful.— It was decided to support the petition.

The matter of holding a prize-giving function In connection with the boys’ and girls’ clubs was brought up. Mr. Dunn imoved and Mr. Orr seconded that the prize money be sent to either the local branch of the union or the school committee, and it be suggested that these bodies, in conjunction with the Farmers’ Union, endeavor to arrange some function at which the prize money could be given out.— The motion was carried.