SHEEPOWNERS' UNION.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16472, 15 March 1919, Page 4

SHEEPOWNERS' UNION.

MEETING OF COMMITTEE

A meeting of the General Committee of the Canterbury Sheepowners' Union was held this week. Present—Messrs T. D. Burnett (president), E. Hay, CH Ensor, T. S. Johnstone. Edmund Parsons, L- A. Rutherford, B. SethiSmith, and I>. G. Wright. In reference to a letter received from Mr T H- Howell, director of the Christchurch Technical College, relative to tho award of challenge cups and silver mpdals for machine and blado shearing, it was arranged with Mr Howell that the presentation of the trophies should be made at the Union's annual meetlUXhe report of the sub-committee on ihe deputation which waited on the Itailwav Traffic Manager, in Tegard to the orciering of trucks, was received, and it was decided to write to the Traffic Manager in terms of letter submitted by the representatives on the deputation. Correspondence was read between the Union and the Department of Agriculture in reference to. the date of compiling the annual sheep returns. The meeting was of opinion that the annual sheep returns should be taken from the shearing and ear-marking tallies. It was decided to bring this matter before the Minister of Agriculture on his next visit to Canterbury.:. Tho question of extending telephone communication in the country was discussed.

Mr Parson's stated that the Government should be asked to connect a line between Keltcrangu and .the Claronce to enable through telephone communication to be made with Blenheim. Mr L. A. of opinion that the time had arrived for the lino between Christchurch and Culverden to be duplicated, as constant congestions look place on the present line. \ It was decided to write to the Superintendent of the Post and Telegraph Department, requesting that a complete alphabetical list of country subscribers should be inserted in the Telephone Directory, including names of private wire owners who are connected with various bureau stations. Correspondence from the Director of the Dominion Meteorological' Office was read on the subject of weather forecasting, in which it was pointed out that snowstorms were so patchy that the exact field could rarely, if ever, be defined beforehand, and a difference of two or three degrees of temperature made all the difference between snow and rain. The president stated that ho had arranged for Mr Wooles to give an address at Fnirlie on weather forecasting next Thursday. A letter was read from the Department of Imperial Government Supplies on the question of the regulation prohibiting freezing companies from fellmongering skins other than those killed at the works. It was resolved that a letter be forwarded to the Minister, of Agriculture emphatically . protesting against the present restrictions in regard to fellmongering farmers' sheepskins. -• Correspondence was also read from the Department of Agriculture in regard to rabbit-infested Crown lands. Tho president stated that there was a large increase in the rabbit pest in various districts, and was of opinion that more rabbit-proof fcnces should be erected. Runholders were compelled bv the Department to keep down the pest», and though it was in the interest of stockowners themselves to have this work done, they were experiencing a real hardship in having to face the present high prices for fencing matorial. . . .//Itwas decided to write to Dr. Reakes, Director-General of Agriculture, asking Riim if he could give a lecture afc Fturlie at a date to be arranged on tie diseases of sheep, and more particularly on lamb mortality^ A letter was received from the Organiser of the Canterbury Progress Leafue, and it was decided to affiliate-with that body. Mr T. S. Johnstone was appointed the Union's representative on the Council of tho League.