N.Z. FARMERS’ UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 October 1922, Page 2

N.Z. FARMERS’ UNION.

MEETING OF EXECUTIVE. The monthly meeting of the Taranaki Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union was held at Hawera on Friday. The president (Mr. Mills), referred to a suggestion from the Dominion executive that practical farmers should be appointed in each district to advise soldier settlers. It had been suggested by a returned soldier that a committee should be set up to go into the circumstances of soldier settlers who were unable to make a success of their farms and confer with the land board with a view to arriving at some easier financial Mr. Bashford said that the whole trouble had resulted from the soldiers being put on too poor land. Land such as the Parkes’ estate was all right, but they might just as well have shot a man as "put him on land like the Parihaka block. It was decided to write to the secretaries of the various branches, suggesting that two practical men be appointed by each branch to give advice to any soldier settlors requiring it, and also to give any advice to any others. The president said a branch had boon formed at Ararata, 25 members hiving joined up. The Tawhiti branch had also been strengthened and was going to get a good start shortly. Another branch of between 25 and 30 members had been formed at Okaiawa. A visit had been made to Mokoia, and there was no doubt that a branch would commence activities there next week. Each district where the union was not very strong was then discussed, and arrangements made for strengthening the union’s position in such districts.

Mr. Ruskin, in speaking on the Dairy Produce Control Board, asked whether the farmer was to be nailed down to the votes of the directors of the factories. It was vital that the farmer should know what percentage he was going to pay, or was going to be bound to pay. The whole of the farmers’ produce was going to be pushed into one centre without any guarantee as to the financial stability of that centre. The only advantage he could see was that certain agents were going to be cut out. Mr. Ruskin advocated the appointment of two men in New Zealand to regulate the supply of dairy produce to England. Tn reply to Mr. Ruskin, the president said that the difficulty of finance would be overcome by the produce going through certain large firms. The question of the control of supplies to the market would be one of the main duties of the board. Mr. Hodge mentioned the matter of the increase of ragwort in certain dis'tricts. It was decided that the Department of Agriculture be urged to take much more drastic action in preventing the spread of noxious weeds in districts reasonablv free from weeds at present. — Star.