FARMERS IN CONFERENCE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9553, 28 July 1909, Page 5

FARMERS IN CONFERENCE

A DOMINION GATHERING By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, July 27. The Dominion Conference of New Zealand Farmers Union commenced to-day, Mr J. G. Wilson, Dominion President, being in the'ehair. After considerable discussion it was resolved "That the time has arrived when the Maoris should be granted the same political and local government privileges as those of the European race; that every effort should be made to individualise their lands, and that wnen individualised such land should be liable to rates, with power of distraint; that when the areas are held in common, the Government should be liable for the rates. Such rates to be a charge on the land; Government to have power to take over such lands, witn the exception of cultivable reserves, at a valuation of the whole, the purchase money being held in trust for such natives as can prove their interest." "That the Land Act be amended so that when all improvement and residential conditions have been compared with the present and future. Crown tenants should have ibe right ot converting their leasehold into freehold at its actuarial value on a 5 per cent, basis; those who paid 4 per cent, paying the capitalised value of one per cent, for the term of years the lessee has ! occupied the land. That tenants undtr the Land for Settlement Act have similar right", provid.-d that the payments may be extend-d over ; a period of years, if so desired; pro- j vided further that in no caee shall j the lessee have the right to purchase | a greater area than that allowed in , the various Land Acts. That this Conference again emphatically protest against the continued increase being made by the Government Valuation Departmsnt on the unimroved value of rural lands of the Dominion. That the Conference protest to the Valuation Department as to the excessive values placed on properties, p-incipally based on very high rates ruling in the past two years for produce. THE DAIR* INDUSTRY. AN IMPORTANT &TATEMENT. BY THE MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE. The Minister of Agriculture, Hon. T. Mackenzie, attended the Farmers' Union Conference this afternoon, and mtfde an important statement affecting the dairy industry. "In connection," he said, "with the unsatisfactory prices to which New < Zealand butter has fallen in the British market?, and the necessity i that exists fur soma active steps ; being taken, not only of regarding j an undue percentage of moisture, i but, a'so, aj it affects qvulity, the ! Government has decided upon a | means that it is hoped wiil beeeffe- t tive in securing ai improvement of . the milk supply, and of the rJtpyt < of the factories. The method lo be adopted, will be to ascertain at the facLr'e3, which of the suppliers are sending unsatisfactory mi.'k In order to carry this out it was decided at a meeting of the Cabinet to-day to I increase the number of instructors , attached to the dairy produce division of the Department, and to extend the functions of these [ officers to th> farms as well as dairy i faotiries. Tnis will enable the de- I partment to dispense with the services of nearly all the existing dah-v inspectors. "It is proposed to divid.' the while of the dairy fac- [ tories in the Dominion into groups, I and that an officer sufficiently highly qualified to command respect ( amongst th. 3 fa t-iry directors, mivm- ' gers and supporters be appointed lei . each group." the duty of the offi- j cers would be—(a) to attend at the i factory and give the manager such | advice and instruction as may be j found desirable, and while there to ascertain from him which suppliers the unsuitable milk is con.iig; (b) to visit these faulty suppliers and show them where'.the defect lies The President of the Conference Mr J. G. Wilson, said the announcement made by the Minister marked an important step in the progress i of the industry.