Tokomairiro Farmers' Club

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 3174, 19 June 1900, Page 8

Tokomairiro Farmers' Club

The Monthly meeting of the Tokonairiro Earners' Club was held in the County Chambers on Wednesday evening and was attended by Messrs H. M. Driver,' (President), W. W. P. Hall, (Treasurer), W. Aitcheson, T. Oannon, Jas. Grey, Jno. Farquharson, "W. Allison, Geo. Martin, J. Norrie, M. Finch, R. . Ferguson, D. Falconer, — Green, Jas. Inglis. Mr J*a Allen, M.H.R, was also ia attendance. The minutes of the laßt meeting were read and confirmed. . COBEESPOTTDENOE. A letter was read from the secretary of the Waitahuna Farmers' Club, stating that their club had forwarded petition 1 dealing with the Rabbit Nui?anee Act, and reqaestiog the club, to get the same numerously signed and have it forwarded to Parliament at the beginning of the session. Also sttting that they intended sending their petition through Mr Allen, M.H.R. Petitions had been circulated all through Otago and Southland. The Petition was as follows : — To the honorable the members of the New Zealand House of Representatives in Parliament assembled. The humble petition of the under■igned farmers, settlers, and others in Otago therewith . (1) That ever since the Babbit Nuisance Act has been in existence, clause 9 has plaoed in the hands of inspectors a power which no overseer should hold, making them counsel for plaintiff and judge of the award. (2) That the time has now arrived for an amendment in the said Act whereby magistrates under it shall be vested with full discretionary power, so that a verdict in accordance with the weight of evidence shall be tbe right of litigants. (3) That at present the rabbit export industry is a great and profitable one in South Otago, the export almost equalling in valne that of frozen meat, and thousands of persons being employed in it at a season of the year when work is otherwise difficult to obtain. Tour petitioners recognise that more stock could be carried on the land were there fewer rabbits; but they Are not insensible to the fact that there is infioitely more wisdom in trapping at certain seasons of the year than pursuing a policy of wanton destruction by rendering valueless, eaicases which are worth from 5i to 6d per pair. (4) That in the opinion of your petitioners, trapping and tbe export of rabbits have conduced greatly to the export of the pest. (5) That in the opinion of your petitioners the said Act should b» further amended in the direction of providing for regulations under the said Act, co that the Government shall be vested with such powera as shall unable them, in tbeir discretion, en declare certain localities Rabbit Trapping Areas, where poiajniog nhall be prohibited during a certain period of the year. (6) That your petitioner* humbly pray that your honorable House will tak3 the whole circumstances into your efarefal consideration, and make such alterations in the law as will meet the necessities of the oase. And your petitioners, as in doty bound, will humbly pray. It was agreed to act as suggested by the Waitabuna Farmers' Club, but that clause 5 in the petition be deleted. The treasurer was authorised to pay all pries money in connection with the show. A communication was received from the general secretary of tbe New Zealand Agricultural Conference stating that it had been finally settled to hold the conference on the 26 tb inst. — Received. From W. Livingstone stating that he had won a sheep at the show held in 1899 for which he never applied, and gave it aa a gilt for the gueSß!Dg OOmpetitkm for the ahow of 1900. — Received. ACCOUNTS The following accounts were passed for payment : — Sprosen and Maclean £2 16s Id, Bruce Bay £7 18* 7d, Geo. B-.ed £5 153 6<*. ' Bruce Herald ' £10 17a 61, Otago A. and P. Society £2 5s 6d, F. W. Riach Is 6d, Graham and Kenoard £7 17* lid, C. Bills 8s 6d, * Clutba Leader • 4a 6d, « Tu<peka Times ' 4s 6d, * Taieri Advocate ' 4s 6d. GENEEi-L MEETEUG The general meeting to consider and propose qaestidns to be brought op by the deleg-iies from this district at the New Zealand Agricaltural Conference to. beheld in Wellington on 26 met. was then held, but Only two persons besides those who had attended the previous meeting turned up. A circular was received from the secretary of the conference setting forth the subjects, proposed by the various clubs affiliated, tr/be discussed. The members present then proceeded to discuss (he pros and cons of tbe eabj^cte laid down and inatraoed their delegate— Mr Allen — to support o»---oppose them as agreed. The business was of a routine character and the only question p-oposed by the club to be coupled with those nlready before th j m w*s the rabbit ques ion, and uriformity in the selling of grain, ihstift to say, the abolition of •ommisoion charges. # . # the question of introducUul into the aohoola tbroughont tha ookmy # dan bock oi ***mit»*l

Education, Mr Allen said thatedno^tion should be more in keeping with tbe diitrict and he himself waa in favor of the whole ayatem being altered. 11 a dietriot were a mining centre, then children should be given gpeoial in ■traotion in that subject, and so on io agricultural, and commercial quarters. In hia opinion Technical Education should be widely extended, and children should be more taught from-wbat they ace outside than is at present the case. In reference to the Oalifornian thistle, Mr Green said tbat lie knew of an island in the Clutha river, that was literally overgrown with the weed. Tbe island in question was ploughed up, sown very thickly with cowgraos, and the thistles had &inoe entitely disappeared. The meeting terminated by Mr Driver thanking Mr A.llen for ao kindly attending at the meeting. Mr Alien in reply said he was only too bappy to do anything that might bent-fit the club and hoped to be of some service to them at the coming conference.