PROVINCIAL AGRICULTURAL CONFERENCE.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14380, 13 June 1912, Page 5

PROVINCIAL AGRICULTURAL CONFERENCE.

TO BE HELD NEXT MONTH

A conference of representatives of local A. and P. Associations is to bo held in Christchurch on July 18th. The conference has been arranged by -.1 special committee set up by the Canterbury A. and P. Association, and the following remits have already been received for consideration at the conference :—

1- That a Stato experimental farm is urgently needed in Canterbury.

2. That an expression of opinion is desirable as to the- most suitable locality for the proposed experimental fr»rm in Canterbury.

3. That tho question ot building homes for married farm workers be discussed, and if possible a practical scheme, be forwarded to Parliament.

4. It is desirable that the Government should give an annual subsidy of £1000, such subsidy to be given to an Agricultural and Pastoral Association for tho purpose ot holding a Dominion Show. That tho subsidy be given U> the North and South islands in alternate years, the shows to receive the subsidy to be decided by tho New Zealand Agricultural Conference-.

o. That it is desirable that a Pure Seeds Bill be passed by Parliament.

6. That the Conference approves t i the introduction of agricultural education into the curriculum of the State schools of the I>ominion.'

7. That the Conference recommends that the Government import -regularly consignments of fertilised queens of the bronze and red tail humble bees for distribution throughout .New Zealand, to assist in the fertilisation of red clover.

The foregoinij remits came before tho meeting of the general committee of tho Association yesterday.

The President (Mr J." l>. Hall) In moving their adoption, said that 12 out of 15 Associations had agrood to the holding of tho conference, and there was every probability of a representative attendance of delegates being present. The business of tho conference would be to deal with remits and receive addresses, -and there wouid also bo an innovation in the form of a question box which could be made use of not only by delegates at the couforence but outsiders as well. No doubt other remits would bo received. The question of experimental farms was bound up in the Local Government proposals, for there v:as no reason why the now county councils should not undertake the work of conducting experimental farms. It was possible also that a remit might be included that periodic conferences of A. .and P. Associations and other kindred bodies should bo held to discuss matters affecting their joint interests.

Mr M. Murphy said it was highly important that clause- 6 should be adopted. The proposal was one that he had been advocating for a number of years, and there was a hope now that something would bo done.

The President referred to the Lα ks Coleridge scheme, and said that tno country seemed to have been ignored in the matter altogether. He" would move as an additional remit. — "That it; is desirable that'the . Government should make provision for supplying electrical power from Lake Coleridge to farmors in the Canterbury district." It was,,he added, most important that the farmers who wore widely scattered and deprived of the opportunity of securing other cheap power should not be denied the benefits of the Lake Coleridge scheme. Tho farmers were receiving scant consideration while the people in tho city who were already able _to get cheap power were to be .given a supply of current which largely wonld not be wanted.

Mr D. McMillan said that the farmers in his district were much" disappointed that they were not to be considered at all. He could not see why farmers living along-the line-of supply should not be able to get their current from the Government. The city was getting'everything out of the scheme; the country nothing. The remits, including the one proposed liy the President,, were adopted.