FARMERS' INTERESTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 43, 20 February 1929, Page 15

FARMERS' INTERESTS.

MEETING OF EXECUTIVE. WESTFIELD MEAT KILLINGS. SPREAD OF CATTLE TICK. Several important matters came up for discussion at last night's meeting of the Auckland Executive of the Farmers' Union. Mr. A/A. Ross presided. On behalf of a sub-committee which had considered the matter, Mr. R. H. Feisst reopened the question of restricting the meat killings at Westtield. His committee had decided, he stated, that it would be well to ask the Minister of Agriculture what steps were being taken to prevent any future breach, of the Department's regulations. A mere promise of compliance was insufficient, he declared. The executive decided to follow the suggestion. In a letter from the Matamata branch it was stated that considerable alarm had been caused in that district by the arrival there from the Bay of Plenty of 150 store cattle all badly infected with tick. The cattle had been brought to a sale, and were supposed to have been dipped. Waikato and Thames farmers feared that their stock would be infected, and had already communicated with the Minister of Agriculture. Mr. W. H. Allen declared that the tick was spreading to the South Island, and attributed it to neglect.

The executive decided to write to the Minister, suggesting that there had been some neglect on the part of Departmental officials.

A committee report brought forward by Mr. R, H. Feisst, suggested a conference between the Rural Intermediate Credit Association and the Minister concerned to discuss the better working of the rural credits scheme.

Mr. H. Mellsop assured the executive that- such a conference would be held shortly, it having been proposed some time ago by the Waiuku branch. The branch had communicated with the officials in charge of the scheme, and Mr. Mellsop considered that they were doing their best. As soon as they had tried out certain improvements now being diecussed, and had put the scheme into working order, the officials intended to meet the association, with a view to reducing "red tape" to a minimum.