A WAIRARAPA EXPERIMENT FARM

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 259, 25 July 1908, Page 3

A WAIRARAPA EXPERIMENT FARM

MR. BUCHANAN'S OFFER STRONGLY SUPPORTED. MINISTER, TO BE INTERVIEWED. A meeting of representatives of the Wairarapa local bodies was held in the Council Chambers, Greytown, yesterday (writes our Wairarapa to consider Mr. W. C. Buchanan's offer to give tho Government £6000 (£SOOO for an experiment farm and £1000 for. stock), the establishment to be a dairy farm to be located in the Wairarapa, in some portion of the district south of the Waingawa River. There were present:—Messrs. W. Howard Booth and H. S. Moss (Wairarapa A. and P. Association), A. 0. Considine (Featherstone • County Council), D. P. Loasby , (Greytown Borough Council), W. Hodder and A. Donald (Featherston Town Board), J. S. Cundy and A. J. Toogood (Featherston Chamber of Commerce), and W. Orr, Greytown. . Mr. D. P. Loasby, who was voted to the chair, said Mr. Buchanan's offer to the Government . was brought to light mainly through the efforts .of tho Featherston Chamber of. Commerce. ■ It was a fact that Mr. Buchanan had come to the rescue of the Wairarapa in this matter, but so . far the Government, had : not favourably considered the proposal; It was the duty of the meeting, he thought, to bring pressure, upon the Government so that Mr. Buchanan s 'offer could be He suggested that some resolution should be framed, and information obtained on the subject, and then a deputation from'the meeting and local bodies should wait upon the Minister. Mr. A. J. Toogood (Featherston): Is Mr. Buchanan's offer for a general experiment •farm, or for a dairy farm? The Chairman and Mr. Moss stated that they thought the offer was • for a general • experiment farm!" Mr. A. 0. Considine (Martinborough) thought there should be obtained an estimate of the annual cost of the farm, also the output of the several cheese and butter factories, before the deputation interviewed tho Minister. If' the offer was for a dairy farm alone the cost would not be so great as for, a general experiment farm. These particulars also should be procured and laid before'the. Minister, who otherwise might be tempted to over-estimate the cost of the upkeep of the farm. The Chairman, in agreeing with Mr. Loasby, thought that such a farm should bo self-supporting. He understood that, so far, the Minister's objection to Mr. Buchanan's offer- was on account of the cost of supporting the institution, but, of course,-there were two. ways of managing farms, as there were ia : every other business. Mr. J. S. Cundy (Featherston) was of opjnion that something should be done for this side of the Tararuas as well as on the ■ other side: As to an experiment farm paying for .itself, he did not Snow that they were ever instituted with the intention of attaining that object, at least directly.; As a fact, none did pay. If, however,, the scheme was confinrf to an experimental dairy farm, then ' it'would pay for itself. Tho Wairarapa was, in'portions, | a great dairying district, and it was becomirig more so every year, and once an .experimental dairy farm was begun it should bo productive. His district was of the opinion .that'something of the kind should be started as soon as possible. ' Mr. W. Howard Booth (Carterton) thought that the meeting should make sure whether Mr. Buchanan's offer was for dairying alone. It seemed that the Government .would not favour a general experiment farm, and the meeting had, >thereforo,. to,do..its,;best with •Mr: Buchanan's offer. Mr. A. J. Toogood .'questioned if :it. would be right to ask Mr. Buchanan to; make his ' proposal more elastic. Sir. J. S. Cundy: As long as we sit tight here'Sn this'side and say nothing, nothing will;'be"dono.T, ; . Mir. W., Orr (Greytown) suggested that'the j Bush Districts dairies should bo included in the ostimate of output and stock which it was proposed to lay before,the Minister for 'Agriculture. There were fully seventeen dairy factories (butter and cheese) around Eketahuria, and he was certain that the farmers in the north would like to .co-operate in tho movement. -. — Mr. A. O. Considine agreed that the Bush Districts. would benefit by tho advent of an' experiment farm in'the Wairarapa.; He .moved:— . . -V, ■!. . ;'•■ ■ "• "That a committee, , comprising Messrs. . D. P. Loasby, W. Howard Booth, J. S.Cundy, and Orr, with power to add to its number, bo set up to obtain particulars of tho outputs of alj thq Wairarapa, Masterton, and Bush Districts dairy farms as ' far north. as Mangataihoka,' with tho number of dairy stock milked, the information to cover the past two seasons, and then .to' report at a future meeting on a day to be appointed later." The motion was seconded by Mr. A. J. Toogood; and carried unanimously. Mr. H. S. Moss consented to carry on tho secretarial duties. At a meeting of tho committee held subsequently, it was decided to communicate at once with tho secretaries of tho various dairy factories ( and also, if possible, obtain some information of the cost of the management of •some of the Government experiment farms.