SHEEPOWNERS' UNION.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18151, 14 August 1924, Page 10

SHEEPOWNERS' UNION.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Canterbury Sheepowners' Union was hold last night, Mr D. W. Westenra presiding.

Annual Report. The annual report stated:— The executive has not allowed the question of draft allowance to be lost sight of during the past year, and have acted in conjunction with the other Sheepowners' Unions throughout the Dominion, with p. view to the abolition of this injustice -to woolgrowers. The Federation has kept in close touch with the Australian Woolgrowers' Council regarding this matter, and a combined effort, supported by the woolgrowers in South Africa and South America, is now being made to obtain a satisfactory conclusion with respect to this long-standing grievance. The executive hopes that definite results may be obtained from these combined representations to wool buyers, some of whom express themselves as being quite prepared to concede the points raised.

Recent Court decisions have forced the executive to the conclusion that the responsibility which it was understood was assumed.by stock agents when making sales of stock on clients' behalf does not exist in law. The executive is of opinion that the agents' liability to vendors should be more clearly defined, and that clauses should be added to the Sales, of Goods, or some similar Act, clearly defining the agents' duty as being: (1) To make reasonable enquiries as to the financial status of any buyer introduced by him to the vendor; (2) that the agent should be responsible for payment in full (less commission) upon delivery being given to the purchaser in tho presence of or by authority of the agent. Such clear definition would be to the mutual advantage of both the honest agent and the sheepowner. Until this is done, the executive is of opinion that sheepowners do not receive adequate protection from possible injustice at the hands of unscrupulous agents and certain types of speculative forward buyers. Regarding the constitution of Land Boards, the Minister had promised, to meet the wishes of the Union in the matter of appointing at least one member with practical high-country experience to each Board.

It is gratifying to be able to report that, as a result of representations made to the previous Taxation Committee last year, the injustice of double taxation on farmers lias been removed; the super land tax has been abolished, and income-tax on all incomes derived from the land has been remitted. The executive takes this opportunity of congratulating members on the results obtained, and desires to express its appreciation of the help rendered by those members of the committee who gave so much of their time, and. took such trouble to assist the secretary when dealing with this important matter before the Royal Commission. The Commission's-findings are eminently practical, reasonable, and fair, and ■ should materially assist the Government in its endeavour" to" spread the burden of taxation equitably.

. Approximately 170 miles .of rabbit netting has been ordered on an indent basis, and the executive feels that this is a step in the right direction, as there can be.no question.that closer subdivision is the; first essential to efficient control. It as felt that more drastic steps are; required, to be taken in con-nexion-with :the control-of this pest, and suggest that possibly an.export tax, on skins and rabbits .might .meet the case, the money so raised to be spent in supplying cheap poison and in netting off rabbit-infested Government lands, with a view to more protection to the lands adjoining and more efficiency of control.

Representations have, been made to the Department with a view to the formation of noxious weeds control boards, on lines similar to those formed to deal with rabbits. The Department is conducting experiments in the hope that a method may be evolved making it.possible to deal chemically or by parasite with the blackberry and - other weeds, but no commercially practicable result has yet been attained. The question of the advisability of altering the date on which the annual sheep, returns, are made, has been raised during this year, and it is suggested that June 30th would be a much better date than that in force at present, viz., April 30th. At the end of April many farmers hold large numbers • of sheep and lambs for fattening, .the bulk of which would be sent to the works for export, and it is felt that a census taken at the end of June would give a truer estimate of the sheep being carried through the winter, as by June 30th the works would be closed down, and sheep held after that date would be carried on the farms through the winter, with the exception of a small percentage sold for local consumption. This is one of the matters to be dealt with by the Federation Executive in Wellington next month. The report also dealt with railways and other matters.

! PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. I , i In moving the adoption of the report, the chairman said that since they last 1 met the pastoral industry had passed through a remunerative year, and the prospects for. wool were, still good. "Although the prices for wool and lamb are good, those wishing to become owners of pastoral country would not be wise in fixing values on the present prices," continued the chairman. "It is continually being pointed out that the consumption of New Zealand and Australian meat goes on . diminishing in Great Britain while that of South America advances.. It is imperative that we in Canterbury should pay more attention to the breeding of the very best quality lamb. For the last two or three years the North Island has purchased the best of our rams most suitable for getting lambs of good quality for the London market, and it behoves us in the South Island to do the utmost to maintain the highest possible quality in our flocks by the use of none but the best rams available in the various breeds, and so justify the continuation of the term 'Prime Canterbury,' gained through the efforts of the pioneers in our frozen meat industry. I venture to say that if we do not pay more attention to our ewe flocks, and purchase the best and most suitable rams money can buy, the good old brand of 'Prime Canterbury' will be losk . . . It is satisfactory to note that owners of hill-country runs are fast getting back to the merino, as the merino is admittedly the backbone and foundation of our half bred flocks." He expressed regret that the Government had not taken a serious view of the alarming increase of rabbits in some provinces. Dealing with price control, the speaker referred to the agricultural history of England and France to show that fixation- was not a success. The most powerful stimulant .to production was the reward for the labour involved, and the producers should be extremely careful before consenting to part with their heritage of freedom of contract when (Continued at foot of next column.)