SHEEPOWNERS' UNION.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19888, 27 March 1930, Page 3

SHEEPOWNERS' UNION.

MEETING OF EXECUTIVE.

The executive of the* Canterbury Sheepowners' Union met yesterday. Present: —Messrs E. M. Morten (president) in the chair, G. Fulton, E. C. Todhunter, A. E. Turnbull, D. W. Westenra, P. H. Courage, L. C. Gardiner, Sholto Douglas, T. C. Eobinson, D. Deans, E. Hay, H. D. Acland, and E. P. H. Burbury. Apologies were received from Messrs H. Acton-Adams, N. D. Campbell, George Murray, A. Grigg, F. Peter, and Colonel E. B. Neill. The secretary reported that a donation had been received from a member towards the cost of the work being done at the Cawthron Institute in connexion with tho propagation of sheep fly parasite, and that he had forwarded this to Nelson, on behalf of tho Union. The lettef accompanying the donation expressed appreciation of tho work done at the Institute in this connexion.—The letter was received, and the Becretary'B action was approved. The Department of Agriculture wrote i» con. with the supply of distemper * fan, from overseas; and the secretai" 1 ! Cv-. Iwthat a full report on the wor. y.s being prepared by the Depart ad would be available in the course? iSfew days.—The letter and the seerettJ.iy's > report were received. '' ■ The Minister for I*,nal Affairs wrote adVising that it Ijad'been decided to fix Wednesday, May 7th, next, as the date for the holding of: a conference of Departmental officers, acclima-, tisation societies, and other organisations, to consider the question of deer* control, and that arrangements were being made for the conference to be held in Christchurch. The Minister asked for representation of sheepowners at the conference, and it was unanimously agreed to endorse the appointment of Mr E. C. Todhunter, as delegate to tho conference, on behalf of sheepowners. The letter also stated that interested persons other than the appointed delegate would be allowed to attend, but not to take, an active part in the deliberations. The Hurunui Eabbit Board wrote forwarding particulars of the condition of the country under its jurisdiction with respect to the spread of deer.—The letter was' received, and the information contained therein placed at the disposal of Mr Todhunter, as delegate. The British Wool Federation wrote stating that it was proposed to hold a conference at Bradford during the coming summer, and asking for the appointment of representatives of New Zealand sheepowners to attend the conference with a view to arriving at an understanding on many questions of mutual interest to growers and the wool trade generally. The letter statea that it was the unanimous opinion of the British Wool Federation executive that such a meeting would be of great value and should have a most beneficial effect. —The lotter was received, and Messre B. E. H, Tripp (Timaru), and Colonel R. B. Neill (Mount Somers) were appointed to attend at Bradford as accredited representatives. ' Mr George Murray, Mr T. D. Burnett, M.P., and jtber Mackenzie Country runholders, wrote strongly protesting against the proposed domiciling of a number of the Byrd expedition sledge dogs at the Hermitage, Mt. Cook, and requesting that immediate action be taken with a view to preventing the establishment of this breed of dogs

anywhere in' the Dominion. The (Secretary reported that while in Wellington he had interviewed the head of the Agricultural Department in connexion with this matter, and had been advised that all Byrd's dogs had been taken on to America and that none would be ,Aeft in the Dominion; also that arrangements were being made to destroy tho nine young dogs which were bred at Quail Island last winter, and which had been left at the Hermitage on the departure of the relief ship to tho Antarctic.

Gratification at the action taken by the Government in this connexion was expressed by several speakers, and it was generally agreed that it was undesirable to encourage the breeding ot this type of doc in a sheep country such as New Zealand, as they were unnecessary and would be a potential menace, especially to flocks in the high country. Ilunholders in the district had been advised of the decision come to, and the letters were received, ana the secretary's action approved. Mr Acland reported that with Mr*J. 8. Jessep, vice-president of the Federation, and the secretary he had attended a conference with representatives ot the Farmere' Union at Wellington in connexion with the suggested establishment of a Wool Control Board in New Zealand, and that as a result of the discussion, it was Agreed to make enquiries with a view to promoting legislation! permitting the Meat Control Board to arrange, if possible, for freight contracts for the carriage of wool to British and Continental ports in the hope that it may bo found possible to obtain reductions in freight on a definite contract.—The report was received, the opinion being expressed that it would not be practicable to establish an effective system of control without the co-operation of Australian and South African woolgrowers, and in view of the close co-operation between the New Zealand Sheepowners' federation and the Graziers' Federal Council of Australia, it 'Was decided to take no further action until definite information comes to hand as to the intentions of Australian woolgrowers in this matter. This is expected at an early date. Letters from the Gisborne district, making suggestions for an improvement in the basis of assessment for land taxation and valuation were received, and the secretary reported that he was endeavouring to arrange for a conferenoe between representatives of landowners and departmental officers with a view to establishing a more equitable basis" of valuation of land for taxation assessment purposes than that which obtained at the present time.—The letters were received, and the action taken approved. The secretary reported that while in Wellington he had interviewed Dr. O. J. Reakes, Director-General of Agriculture, in connexion with the suggestion from the Otago Sheepowners* Union that the dipping period be set forward one month to enable sheep to be dipped off the shears instead of as at present from January Ist. The Department did not think it desirable to make the alteration suggested as it would possibly open the-way for evasion . of the regulations by unscrupulous farmers. The necessity for every care being fcsercised by the Department with a view to preventing the spread of lice in sheep was stressed by several speakers, und it was generally agreed that drastio action was necessary in order to meet the situation in mahy cases Several cases were mentioned of flocks known to have evaded the dipping regulations, and the following resolution, moved bv Mr E. P. H. Burbury, and seconded by Mr A. R. Turnbull, was carried unanimously:—"That where properties are known to have lousy sheep on them, such properties be subject to constant supervision by the Department, and until a clean certificate be given, no sheep shall be allowed to

be sold or driven from tho place? where lousy sheep are known to exist." The secretary reported on an interView with Dr. E. Marsden, of tho Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, as a result of which it waft intended to send to the Leeds Research Laboratory several fleeces of Corriedale, Roniney, halfbred, and throe-quarter-bred wool for a scientific analysis to be carried out in the presence of a. re. pres6ntativo of the Department, who would remain in England for a length of time sufficient to enable full investigations to be made as to the structure of the various types of wool, and with a view to a full report being obtained as to the bfest means of remedying any faulty condition found to be present in the various types of fleece, and also in order that the comparative results obtained might be available to woolgrowers in the Dominion for their future guidance. The report was received, and the secretary's action approved, it being recognised that the result of an investigation , such as that proposed* should prove of great value to growers. Dr. C. J. Reakes, Director-General of Agriculture, wrote giving particulars of what had been done by the Department ih connexion with the discovery of cattlo tick in the Takaka district. Nelson province: and the secretary reported on a personal interview with Dr. Roakes regarding the.matter, also giving particulars of the discovery and identification of cattle tiok On a seagull found recently on d'Urvillo Island. He stated that the Department is now reconsidering the whole question in the light of this discover}, and possibly some alteration in policy in this'connexion may result, but nothing definite had vet been decided on.—The letter was received; also the secretary's report, and his action was approved. The remarks of Mr Whitley, of the British Farmers' Party, regarding the importation of stud stock frota Great Britain, were dealt with, and on the motion of Mr R. M. Morten, seconded bv Mr R. C. Todhunter, it was Unanimously agreed to affirm a resolution previously carried, urging tho Government strictly to maintain the present embargo on the importation of stock from Great Britain; and further urging that the importation of cattle, sheep, stoine, etc., indirectly through the United States. Canada, or Australia, be prohibited. Several speakers stressed the need for maintaining the embargo on stock from any country until it could show a clean bill of health; and the disastrous effect on the Dominion, should foot-and-mouth disease obtain a footing here, was emphasised by several speakers.