FARMERS' UNION.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17747, 26 April 1923, Page 3

FARMERS' UNION.

NORTH CANTERBURY EXECUTIVE. The North Canterbury Provincial Executive of tho New Zealand Farmers' Union met yesterday, Mr W. W. Mulholland presiding. Menacing Pests. In reply to a lotter from the executive. tho Akaroa County Council wrote stating that although there were no riverbeds, in the county, the Council realised that the plains were menaced with tho spread ot noxious weeds and rabbits from tliose lands, and considered that stock inspectors should be given fuller powers to deal with the nuisance. Several letters in connexion with the same matter were received from various County Councils and Road Boards, most of them agreeing that the menace was a serious one, and various methods of coping with it were suggested. The Cheviot County Council made the following suggestion: "That inspectors be appointed over suitable areas on a much smaller basis than at jpresent to see that the work is carried out by settlors or the lessees concerned. Working under the inspector would be rabbit gangs to poison and destroy the rabbits, the cost being charged up to the land occupiers accordingly. It is understood that the supervision would be over the whole area and not merely confined to river lands. . At the present time such inspectors have too large an area to work and cannot possibly see that the Act is properly enforced." All the letters were referred to the General Committee to bring down a. report. Beef-Eating Campaign. The Dominion secretary of the New Zealand Farmers' .(Jnion wrote to the effect that, to help the cattle indus~ try, the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board last year inaugurated a campaign to induce the public to eat beef, the success of w'nich campaign had induced the Board to make another appeal this season, and to continue it until the market for fat Cattle improved. If more beef were eaten, and less mutton and lamb, the Dominion would export considerably more mutton and lamb, which would be an immense benefit and encouragement to cattle owners, and would also add to the general prosperity of the country. Many farmers killed mutton and lamb only, and in appealing to the public to eat beef it would naturally be expected that farmers themselves should sot an example by killing beef for their own consumption as much as possible, even though they were not interested in cattle. Any help the North Canterbury executive could give in placing the matter before their friends would be appreciated by the Meat Producers' Board. After some discussion concerning the discrepancy in the retail price of beef compared with the price reoeived by tho producers, Mr Burgin moved that the master butchers be asked to state the expense of handling beef from the saleyards to the shop, in comparison with the price of handling mutton. It was decided that the matter be followed up by the Agricultural Committee on the lines suggested by Mr Burgin.