Morven Farmers’ Union.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 256, 16 September 1902, Page 1

Morven Farmers’ Union.

(FROM OUR OWN' CORRESPONDENT.)

A special meet'np of the Mo ven branch of the Farm rs’ Union was held at Morven on Weilnes lay, 10 ir but., to consider a 1-Uer re - ived from the Kxrcut.ive of South , Canterljury to approach the Colonial'Council with a vi-w to getting liem to pi.tec - its members in anything that might, arise affecting the fanning in'erests, namely, labour disput> s etc. The irkesident. Mr J. Corrigan (in the chair), a ter • xplain ng the ohj «. t of the me-ning detlt at con ide able length on the necessity of the Uni n protect.ng its m-mber-, but did not think t:my shou d take any pa.t w-th th • mil owners again-t the threshing m ; 1 hands, in to his mind it wa< un indastiy quite different from farming. It wt* a gued on many oucasi ms tha many of the mdl owner* were farmers but this \vi- no reft-on why the Farme s' Union s mulct fight their battle as the.’ w r no cited as fanners but as mlt ownrr., He pointed out that hotelke pers b long'd to the Farmers’ Union amt tie was certain that if their servants took them before the Arbitration Court they won i not expect the Farmers’ Union to pay th ir expenses. He also pointed out that if the firms the farmers bought their implemems from were taken before the Arbitration C; urt they were just as much entitled to financial assistance from the farmers as the mill owners were, for if the decision went against them the farmers would have to pay more for their implements. He was satisfied the question would he fairly dealt with by the Arbitration Court, and that the wages would be based upon the potits made by the mill owners and if the mill hands wore not making a living wage n was only just and light that they should get an increase of pay. Ho thought, from enquiries he hail nude, that the mill owner was m iking t*o mu h profit for the amount invested in a mid. As they weie all aware iney had received a letter from the secretary of the Mill Owners’ Association asking for assistance. The secretary had replied stating he thought the branch would do so on condition that the mill ow ers would produce a balance sheet sh wng their earnings for three years, which lie thought would be a fair time ti avenge for, but such t balance sheet wi s never forwarded nor ;he letter recognised. He was of opinion that it would pay the farmers belter to get co-operai ive mills to thresh their own grain. He quoted figures to show that they could give a considerable advance of wag-s to the mill hands and have their threshing done as cheap as at present and also get a good interest on the capital invested in the mill. He advi ed every farmer to join lire Farmers’ Union. He said the labour question was only a secondary consideration beside other things that were of greater importance, such as getting markets for their produce. If the farmers would co-operate they could save the profits of the middle-man, which would ba better for the producer as well as the consumer. He thought the m*nufacturers and merchants had too much profit and instanced by saying that the firmer sold his wool from 2d to 4d a lb and paid for a lb of worsted from -fs 6d to bs 6d, which he thought was too much. In another case he sold wool for 2d a lb and bought binding twine, which was nothing but flax, for 4j,d per lb ; to his mind this was the sort of tmng that the Farmers’ Union should take up and have altered. If the farmers did not unite and protect themselves, as other trades were d nng, in a ve y short time* they would find themselves in a very peculiar fix, as the merchants and millers would simply do with ihem as they hked. He hoped that every farmer would rise to the occasion and protect himself. On the motion of Mr Arncit, seconded by Mr Admit, it w*s unanimously agreed ‘■That this brand) take nop.utinihe dispute between the threshing mill owners and employees.” The nieeling agreed to draw up a seres of questions to put to all cand d t-.s for the forthcoming election, and w ll not support any candidate that will not pledge himself to support measu es of benefit to the farming community regardless of party.