FARMERS ASSEMBLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 May 1939, Page 8

FARMERS ASSEMBLE

CONFERENCE OPENED IN MASTERTON DELEGATES WELCOMED BY THE MAYOR. PROBLEMS OF COMMON CONCERN. Delegates from six provinces are attending the annual inter-provincial conference of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, which opened in Masterton today. The president of the Wairarapa Provincial Executive, Mr Hugh Morrison, extended a warm welcome to the delegates, and the Rev J. Davie opened the conference with prayer. Mr Lloyd Hammond, Provincial President of the Wellington Central Provincial district, occupied the chair. The Mayor of Masterton, Mr T. Jordan, extended a hearty welcome to the delegates. He appreciated the importance of the conference, which covered a wide area. He realised the serious position many farmers were facing today. “We in the town,” he added, “know that when you in the country are sick we are ill too. I know that many farmers in New Zealand are in a serious condition through no fault of their own. There is a community of interest between town and country. We in the towns cannot remain insulated against the position. The closer co-operation of town and country is long overdue. I think we can help each other if we are brought closer together. In a small way, I have tried to do something about it, apart from preaching.”

Mr Jordan went on to deal with the incidence of hospital rating, and said that the present system was most unfair. Hospital taxation should be based on capacity to pay. He knew there was room for improvement in the conditions under which the farmers were working and he expressed the hope that the conference would make a valuable contribution to the solution of the problems. (Applause). Mr Jordan said his association with Mr Hammond dated from his teaching days at Wellington College. Mr Hammond in those days was an “authority on Donnybrooks.” At a later stage Mr Hammond said: “Mr Jordan always had the last say on “Donnybrooks” and it was not what he said but what he did.”

DOMINION PRESIDENT

VISIT TO CONFERENCE ABANDONED. It had been arranged that the Dominion President of the Farmers’ Union (Mr W. W. Mulholland) should attend and address the Inter-Provincial Conference of the Farmers’ Union today, but in the afternoon advice was received that on -ccount of important business in Wellington Mr Mulholland would be unable to come.