FARMERS' UNION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9091, 18 May 1908, Page 5

FARMERS' UNION.

ANNUAL MEETING OF MASTERTON BRANCH. IMPORTANT ADDRESS BY PROVINCIAL ORGANISER. The annual meeting of the Masterton branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union was held on Saturday afternoon, the President, Mr J: C. McKillop, occupying the chair. CHAIRMAN'S REVIEW. The Chairman gave a brief review of the work of the branch for the past year, stating that only an average amount of interest had been taken in the work of the branch. It was now proposed to merge into one body the Masterton branch and several surrounding branches with a membership of 125. It was thus hoped that the meetings would be better attended, and more good achieved all round. He dwelt upon the influence for good the Union had exerted both in regard to industrial disputes and in the general advancement of farmers' interests. He concluded by expressing pleasure at the large number of members present. The annual balance-sheet was adopted. A credit balance was shown ot £9 3s 2d. The receipts amounted to £44 lis Bd, and expenditure to £35 8s 6d. Forty-six members' fees had been collected. ADDRESS BY MR J. C., i FOWLER. The meeting was then addressed by Mr J. C. Fowler, provincial organiser, who said that it was two years since he had last, addressed the branch. At that time it' was < hoped the branch would have been put on a better footing. He had found, in his peregrinations that it was a most difficult thing to get farmers to pull together to work in their own interests. On all sidea they were confronted with organisations well enough in themselves, but the objects of which made it imperative for farmers to band together in their own interests. The Farmers' Union was essentially a defence organisation, and therefore when it was seen how inroads were being made by labour organisations in the domain of the farmer it behoved them to rally round the Union. He did not overlook the fact that the A. and P. Associations throughout the dominion were doing a grand and noble work, but these bodies worked on one plane and the Farmers' Union on another and different one. Personally he had found in his travels through the province that farmers rarely refused straight out to join the Union—in fact he could court the number on one hand that had refused him. Only two refusals had been met with in Masterton itself. He quoted this merely to show that matters were different now with the Union to what they were in its earlier days. He was sorry, however, to see that some of the branches had ceased to exist as the Union had do»e a great deal of g)od in many directions. A number of members, of course, had been ruled by their pockets, and had asked, "What do we get out of it? What is the subscription?" and such like, but he contended this was a small view to take of the quest ! on, and he wished to impress upon them the necessity for supporting the Union aa an organisation for good, which deserved the support of every farmer. He had found among both large.'; and small farmers a great amount of interest centred in:the Union, yet he was asked what was it doing, that little was heard about it. The fact was that among the thousands of farmers some could not and others would not attend the meetings of the Union, and in such cases the visit to them of the organiser aroused new enthusiasm. The Farmers' Union had of late been undergoing considerable change in Wellington. Up to the present year the branches had been left to work along alone, and at first great interest was taken in them and they were strong. They had gradually, Weakened, however, and in fact some had died, and now the executive was going to step in and work matters from its ownpoint of view. . The policy now was to inaugurate system of. district branches which would embrace a much larger area, for the reason that many farmers who did not attend branch meetings paid their subscriptions, and were content so long ia3 the work ' was done by someone. The branch would be worked by an executive drawn from all parts of the district, with its headquarters at Masterton, and the ■ general members would only be called together once a year. The speaker said thai in Ashburton, Marton and other parts of the dominion this method had been successfully followed, when it wa3 found that interest in the small branches was languishing. He mentioned that he had been atound the district, and had drawn up a list of names of gentlemen,who would be willing to act on the executive, a list which he read to the meeting. At Pongaroa and Pahiatua very successful results had followed on the district branch scheme. Passing on to other matters, Mr Fowler first touched on the Land Bill, saying that the Union could take to itsslf credit for influencing 'Parliament last election. It had sent paid lecturers throughout the country, at heavy expense, and though its object was not yet fully achieved* the third plank was still in the Union's platform,, and the Union would first have to fizzle out before this plank, asking for the optional freehold tenure, was expunged. "<'' He had been in close touch With thousands of farmers, aid of these less than half-a-dozen had declared they did not desire the freehold tenure. He related the Government's experience at Pongaroa, where land first leased in perpetuity to the pioneer settlers was forfeited, and when replaced on the market the optional system was applied, and applicants were allowed to take up two and even more sections. Mr Fowler then referred to the adr vancement made in the imparting of agricultural and. technical instruction in country schools. He paid a high tribute.to the work of teachers and scholars in many of the school gardenn he had visited, and said that the President of the : Union (Mr J. G. Wilson) had been particularly fervent: regarding this work. Touching on /the shearers' dispute he said that some fanners had, expressed dissatisfaction because a different; rate >/had not been made for as against blade shearing. He felt himself that the Farmers'; Union representatives at the conferences were men of such

\x character that whatever dedsloft they arrived at it was come to on good grounds. He said that on the • other hand three important advantages were gained, inasmuch as the demands of the shearers for a rate of 25s had been reduced to £1 j the claims for preference and for limitation of learners had been dropped. What was still more important was that the argeement was not to apply to farmers' sons, establishing a precedent which, could be pointed to when the demands of kindred farm hand union's came up for discussion. To the dairy farmer in particular a great benefit on this score would accrue, as were dairy-farmers compelled to pay standard wages butter could not be made at anywhere near its present cost The Farmers' Union would during the coming session, if possible, endeavour to introduce amending legislation to make the Act so that only when a reasonable number of workers formed a union,,instead of seven as at present, a dispute could be filed. He said that the Shearers' Union comprised only 80 members out of some 4,000 men. The Farmers' Union would also do its bset to combat the attempts to amend the Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act and Employers' Liability Acts, to increase the liability of the employer from £3OO to £SOO, to insure the farm hand against general sickness, and to class any riding or driving of horses on a farm as hazardous work in the same category as blatsing or bushfelling, thereby increasing the rate for insurance from 9sito £3 103. Under such legislation the farmer could not, he said, gel: covered, and in trying to prevent the carrying of such stringent measures the Union was acting as the watch-dog of the farmer. Fire insurance was also touched upon briefly, Mr Fowler contending that no company in New Zealand was as good an investment as the farmers mutual insurance. He said that in Hawke's Bay last year there had been no loss, and now they had reduced the rate to ss. He impressed upon all very strongly to support that' important branch of the Union work. Tariff amendment and protection and freetrade were matters also mentioned in; the t onclusion of the speaker's review, his,remarks thereon being on the line of criticism from, the farmers' standpoint. He closed by quoting the remarks of members of the present Ministry to show that the Union was entitled to the support of every fam er, and that politics were within its sphere—politics which affected the farmer himself. He also mentioned the removal of the sheep tax, and said that in future still more ■ concessions should be brought about by constant agitation on the part of the Union. , DISTRICT BRANCH FORMED. It was unanimously decided to merge the local branch into a district body, composed of the Masterton and such surrounding branches as threw in their lot with the newly constituted branch. Mr Fowler explained. that' members of branches which wished to still continue as a small . separate, branch could nevertheless belong tp the district branch. The following officers were elected: •—President:, Mr W. J. Welch; VicePresident, Mr,R. D. McKenzie; Executive Committee (as drawn up by Mr Kowler), G. Shaw, W. Percy, D. McGregor* jnr., W. L. Falconer, Ben Rayner, W. J. Welch, K. D. McKenzie, G. Bruce, A. F. Beetham, A. . Gray, D. Forman and E. W. Peyton and W. Perry; Secretary, Mr G. B„ Sykes.. • It was resolved that the annuel subscription be 10s per year all round. A discussion took place on the ■. advisability of having a graduated seals of subscription, but finally the idea was abandoned. • Hearty votes of thanks were parsed to the retiring President and to Mr Fowler for has able address.