HORTICULTURAL CONFERENCE

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26353, 22 February 1951, Page 6

HORTICULTURAL CONFERENCE

“CARPING CRITICISM” ALLEGED

MEMBERS OF INSTITUTE DISSATISFIED.

Dissatisfaction with the nature of the annual conference of the Royal New Zealand institute of Horticulture in Christchurch was expressed by speakers before the business session of the conference closed early yesterday afternoon. If he was asked to report to his organisation what had happened at the conference, he would have to say, "Nothing,” said Mr E. J. Crotty, chairman of the reserves committee of the Wanganui City Council, and representative of the council on the Wanganui branch of the institute. There had been nothing but bickering at the .conference, said Mr Crotty. There might be faults on the administrative side or the institute, but those attending the conference should show tolerance in approaching its problems. He hoped that in future they would get something done. Mr Crotty said he felt that the secretary and some of the administrators of the institute had come under criticism that was unnecessary and unwarranted. Mrs Knox Gilmer (Wellington) said there had been a sense of frustration about the conference. It could not be felt that there had been full discussion about anything.

Appeal for Co-cperatlnn When he took office as president, Mr M. J. Barnett (Christchurch) appealed to the membership for the same support as had been given in the centennial floral display. Its success had not been due to one or several persons, but to hundreds of workers from Canterbury as a whole. Later Jn the proceedings, Mr Barnett appealed for a cessation of “destructive and carping criticism,” which he said had been experienced in the past and at the conference that morning. A member who left the conference table earlv, said he felt that the business would have been expedited had there been lees carping criticism. When the conference considered a remit calling for the extension of the time of the conference, so that business could be dealt with more adequently, it was stated that it was of little use holding a two-day conference If there were insufficient business for such a tession. Mr Barnett said that half-day conferences had been held before.

When a show of hands was taken to see If it would be worth while continuing the conference during the afternoon, only about three indicated that they would attend the conference in preference to the horticultural exhibition be ng staged at the King Edward Barracks.