Farmers' Union.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 106, 24 September 1901, Page 3

Farmers' Union.

A general meeting of the Waimato branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union was held on Saturday afternoon in the County Council Chambers, Mr J. F. Douglas presiding over an attendance of about sixty members; The report of the committee stated that Mr J. F. Douglas had been elected president and Mr C. Akhurst hon. secretary. A letter was received from Mr John Sawyers, proprietor of the New Zealand Dairyman, stating that his paper had been appointed the official organ of the Farmers' Union. He said he would be pleased to receive accounts of meetings, etc., and offered reduced rates of subscription to members of the Union.

Mr Glass, organising secretary to the Union, wrote that a conference of delegates from Canterbury Unions would be held on October Bth and 9th at Ashburton. Each union could send one delegate for each 100 members. Mr Douglas said it was gratifying to note the strides made by the Farmers' Union since its inception, and to soe what good work it had already done. Those who opposed the union of farmers declared it to be made for political purposes. This was nonsense, but the union must discuss politics for their own protection. He asked why should they not unite? Did not the farming portion of the population export eleven out of.the thirteen millions of the colony's last year's exports, and was it not by her exporta that New Zealand was prosperous ? They had been dilatory in the past, but that was not to say they should always be so. The cost of labour is raised, and the manufacturers raise their prices, and this comes back to the farmer. With no prospect of any material rise in the price of their products, they would be driven out of house and home unless they checked the Government in its experimental legislation. Those who owned the land must be protected* as they were the mainstay of the community. The recent rise in the price of bread in Waimate was a fair sample of the state of things that existed., Wheat remained at about 2s 6d,.just the same as when bread was sold at sd. He did not know what would be charged for it with wheat at 4s. Farmers wanted j legislation that was fair to all classes. Their past dilatoriuess had led Mr Seddbn to believe that the country was dependent on tfie towns, and he urged those present to get all their neighbours and friends to join with them in forming a union which would demand and get legislation which placed the town and the country in their true relationship. The agriculturalists and pastoralists 6f the colony,. if united, could get any reasonable law passed. They must now taae charge, or the ship would be wrecked and they, would go down with it. (Applause.) . , Mr Ward briefly addressed the meeting. He said it was a common saying among townspeople that farmers should mind their ploughs and leave "the governing of .the eeiintry to the townspeople, 'who-

had the most sense, (Laughter.) The valuation of the land was all wrong. They were ostensibly not being taxed on their improvements, and yet the land was valued more and more. This was nothing lil; a tax on improvements under another name. Seddon, Ward and Co. took great credit to themselves ' that in their -government the value. of the property of the colony had so increased, but the increase was only a fictitious one, made for taxing purposes. It was not a very hard matter to increase the value of land. Then the railway freightswere against the farmers. The speaker did not know how they were to compete in the open markets of the world and have to pay " through the nose" for carriage within Che colony. Better than the recent reduction in passenger fares would have been to take off freights on products. The building of schools in the back country was often delayed, and the ■. system of paying chatitabte aid in' the form of rates was wrong, All taxation should be for "revenue purposes only, and many of the customs duties were retained to bolster up factories in the colony. He saw that the workers in the shale oil works at Orepuki were petitioning to have the duty restored on kerosene. If this were done it would mean that all the users of kerosene rn. the colony would be paying to keep up works from which they got no benefit. It was blindness on the part of the Government when they fancied that New Zealand Was the whole world. All the labour troubles were caused by a few agitators, who found stirring up the labourers pay better than working. There were good men in the labour ranks, but they were led ad tray. Ho urged all farmers to unite and gee laws passed in the interests of the land, from which everything came.

Mr Douglas then dealt with the finances of the Waimate branch. To join the Farmers' Union cost 3s, one shilling going for organising expenses, one for the head office, and the third to meet the expenses of the local branch. This was not nearly enough, and before long they would not be able to aftord a meeting room. It was no use running both a Farmers' Club and a Farmers' Union in the town, their interests and objects being identical. They were not, as a branch of the Farmers 1 Union, allowed to collect a larger subscription than 3s, and they could not carry on on that basis. He suggested that the two should unite under the name of the Waimate Farmers' Association, which, though still affiliated with the Farmers' Union, should not be restricted as regards subscription and other matters. After considerable discussion, Mr 13. D. Whitney moved that the Farmers' Association should be approached to drop their building scheme and provide a room o? rooms for meeting purposes, the subscription to be reduced to the lowest possible limit. The Waimate branch of the Union and the Association should unite.

This was seconded by Mr D. Ross and carried unanimously. Messrs Hertslett and G. Miller urged the appointment of a paid canvasser, and Mr E. Reilly was appointed to the position. It was resolved to try and make arrangements with the local papers to reduce the price of advertising. It was decided that a meeting should be held on Saturday next to elect one or more delegates to the conference at Ashburton.