ROMNEY SHEEP BREEDERS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 235, 27 June 1908, Page 15

ROMNEY SHEEP BREEDERS.

ANNUAL MEETINC. < A • CONFLICT OVER' CULLING. , ■ Tho annual meeting of members of' tho • . Romney Sheep Brejclera' Association was held at.tho Manawatu showground yesterday. On the'motion of Mr. Jacobs, Mr. G. C. 1 V Wheeler ■ wasi unanimously-: re-elected. presi- ; dont; -Mr. R. N; Bealey- (Canterbury), was -elected. Tice-pre'sident; Mr; Jacobs, tr,easutar; : .'Mr. E..C. J.,Levctt, auditor. .■ \ Mr. D. 1\ Buchanan moved, in accordance with notice:—. ' : • ';- v ' : ' That/ owners of'registered .'flocks shall not add -more than 85 - per cent.. (fractions to bo raised to whole numbers) . of any one year's crop .of ewc.lailibs to their stud breeding flocks, and they shall . .. not, ,in disposing of tho 15 per cent, of the culls; givo such a eortificate of brecding *.i would entitle them to be entered - "• in the Flock Book. Should this rule bo -/infringed tlio-flock shall to bo f; - \';disqualificd and expunged from-'tho Flock \ Book." .. ' "2.-"That owners of registered flocks shall not include in their breeding returns ; more than 05 per-cent, of tho ewes they put to tho rani the-previous, season.. Any -. • relaxation of this rule required, tor special selections; or '''.importations;-can,bnij\' be .. . ' obtained, by . submitting i same, id; inspec-•-.tion." ■; 3. "'.That! all -registered ewos lie m-. . " spcctcd, reported upon; and approved bc- : ' W. 'fore transfers are recorded in tho l'lock Book., and that the cost of such inspecbe borno by the purchaser."-, • In a brief spcech advocating the proposals i Mr.' Buchanan -said if New Zealand was tp 5' takethe; lead in. exporting R-omney. sheep. to,: [;'- Argeniihe: ; ahd, : . Australia,'- they-, must: .be ..ex-'-. •' coedingly careful to keep up a high-standard. The : President, Mr.' (!. C. ; - Wheeler, ; seconded, and said; the rulo. simply aimed at ■ Vmaking the careless breeders, follow the uniform practice of .tho careful. ;. ■ Mr. • Buick (Palmerston) opposed tho ' .motion. ' Ho., admitted the necessity of culling,and was.: sure that careless breeders would: never; be': successful! - But; an attempt to 'niako them; suc'cessfulby. means of ruk3 ;;':WOuld be; as !futile, as ; .the levelling efforts of '. Socialists. 1 » (Hear, hoar.) Wero .they to en!v!:'deivour;jto?makoi 'all; : .tlio.(Romneys T Of .the'. ■; Dominion alike P X.Tho ' thing -was 'impossiblo;'' . and undesirable. If ho . could not improve ! his. - own flock nobody ■ else coiild. • (Hear, hear.) ■. E. Short,,mby.ed an.; amendment'/That,.'.;an inspector he ; appointed to V s3 and. tattoo ; ' the. wliolo of tho two-tooth ewes during '. .'January:and February." *'j Mr. Ferguson (Huntervillo) seconded. ••• ■ Mr; Buick said tho amendment was even ;vm6ro?absurd-than -'the motion, r -'<t-.V''Mr.-jWillißpof ; 6roatford, opposed, and said .J' an , apparently ; inferior. member of a, flock '(sometimes;throw-better progeny than a prize-v-:wihning| aiiimali';'Yet an. inspector would-'cast: that animal out. .. (Hear, hear.) Mr/; Jacobs;' while! realising- that :tho ';inten--/ ; tionof »the rules was good,; said he must- voto; . against the first' two proposals,' as perhaps premature, and' Support wily tho third, ~Tho . time; was ~not .ripe' for; ijispectors..;;.Thd- un-.. scrupulous always evado tho proposed J rule by i increasing -'his; lambing returns .witli'-'' '• out -fear of detection. ..- ; ' , . Mr. .Wheeler (said he feared the speakers were; confusing . inspection with .'judging. -Harding (Siberia); asked .who, wan . to decido what animals were truo to type? . Wliat.-was tho Romnoy type?, Again, had tho - ; Rqmneys of Now. Zealand deteriorated under existing rules?. He could remomber-tho time : when- 91b. and \ 101b. Romney fleeces wero / ! considered heavy,, but now. fleeces of 201b. or even 231b. wfcro common;* ■ •■■■■■ - :Mr. Matthews said tho New Zoaland Rom- ■ - neys had greatl.V; improved. In all cases- : whoro a person:,deemed it necossarv to sell two-tooth ewes,-they should-certainlv be inspected, but ho •. did not believe in tho.com-. pulsory culling of 15 per cent. . \• .Tho amendment and: : the first section of the motion were- both lost., .

■ •_ -Scfiond-.Resolution;."" • . i, "i : Resolution No; 2 was thon dealt with, and the Chairman, Mr. A;-. Matthews,,spoko in favour of tlie motion.. '.. '' . With the' conscnfci of tho mover tho .word. " inspector "• .was, struck out,: and the words "tho Council"-'substituted; Mr. -P. ,'Mungavin, of "Porirua, said tho - ODly .effcctiro' -ivay to got .good: flocks ' was. .to put ;the. culls, through; the; freezer. . ' . Tho motion was lost; ... •Third Resolution. • -Rule 3 was altered to read "that all ewes sold be inspected,'' and the word '"vendor" was. substituted for "purchaser." ./• i In this form it, was carried. ■ Mr. Wheeler . congratulated ; tho society in : having done something to retain tho - confidence of'the public. To be able to say that thoy were grappling with tho misuse of the Flock Book was something to ha proud of.-