ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 230, 26 June 1935, Page 11

ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY

Sound Planning of Work PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS BY MR. L. J. WILD With a view to the sounder planning of the work of the Royal Agricultural Society in the future, the past history of the organisation was reviewed at length by its president,'Mr. L. J. Wild, of Feilding, at the annual conference of the society yesterday. Events leading up to the inauguration of the society in 1923, th> taking over of the functions, assets and liabilities of the Council of Agriculture as from July. 1924. and the holding of the first Royal Show later tlie same year were outlined by Mr. Wild.

It need not surprise anyone that me progress of the Royal Society had not been uniformly smooth, said Mr. Wild. True, it started off on a wave of enthusiasm and soon had over 1000 members, but hard times supervened, a period known as the great depression, and membership fell away. The Royal Society was, of course, far more liable to criticism than was tlie old Council of Agriculture, because it had a much wider range of avowed objects. Question of Control.

In the first place it was now responsible for convening the annual conference, which, like its predecessors luring 40 years had not yet solved the problem of exercising efficient disciplinary control of affiliated associations, and at the same time give them autonomy, In fact, the two principles were irreconcilable. In the second place, the Royal Society was charged with the responsibility of creating a Royal Show. If 40 years had not been sufficient to solve the first problem, they must ask for patience from any who contended that in 10 years they had not yet thoroughly solved the second. Mr. AVild said he had deliberately mentioned all the ups and downs in the history of the society. He had done that, not with a view to bringing forward for discussion any of the issues of the past, but rather to back a plea for some continuity of policy. Personally he did not think the society or the Royal Show had yet completed its revolutionary period or reached its final form. That was in the nature of things. Progress Must Be Slow. He was not one to discount new' ideas, but it was beyond argument and history illustrated tlie fact, that progress must be slow, uncertain and unstable, unless for a period of a few years at a time they could stick to a consistent policy, consolidate what ground had been won, and then prepare for further advance. Since last meeting the ground had definitely been consolidated both in the matter of membership and in Southland’s second demonstration that an excellent and profitable Royal Show could be run in spite of geographical handicaps. It was too soon to judge of the success or otherwise of the district councils, but if, as he believed, the men on them had consented to nomination because of their faitli in the future of the society and their desire to place national interests before all others, then the district councils would both deserve success and win it, and the'history ofi-the •society would continue to be the history of the agricultural progress of this Dominion. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the president for his survey of the events leading up to the formation of tlie society. It was decided to have the address printed. WORK OF CONFERENCE Undesirable Side-shoAV Men The annual conference of tlie Royal Agricultural Society was opened in AVellington yesterday by the deputychairman of the Executive Commission of Agriculture, Sir Francis Frazer. His opening address was followed by that of the president, Mr. L. J.’ AVild, of Feilding. Sir Francis Frazer was accompanied by his colleagues on the Commission of Agriculture, Mr. D. Jones and Mr. G. A. Dunean. Other visitors were the Director-General of Agriculture, Dr. C. J. Reakes; the director of the Livestock Division of the department, Mr. AV. C. Barry; and the secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr. E. Marsden. The . conference carried a Feilding 1., A. and I*. Association remit requesting representation for the Royal Agricultural Society or the Farmers’ Union on the Stock Remedies Registration Board, and that in the case of mineral licks the purchaser be provided with a certificate showing not only the analysis of tlie lick but the names of the ingredients and tlie proportion of each. 5, The view was expressed in a remit from the Gore A. and P. Association that it was essential in the interests

of uniformity and co-ordination among tlie various societies that the licensing of side-show proprietors should be undertaken by tlie central body. In order to debar undesirables from gaining admission to showgrounds it was stated the production of some general form of license was required. Local control having proved a failure it had become necessary to ask that tlie central governing body or the Police Department should take the matter up. The remit was carried. Supporting a remit from the New Zealand Pig Breeders’ Association, the conference decided to urge tlie Government to bring down legislation providing for the control of the sale of stock foods. The view was expressed that this legislation should provide that the purchaser receive with the invoice a certificate setting forth tlie names of the several ingredients and the proportion of each. It was decided to ask the Government to renew its annual grant to the society. A remit from the Hawke’s Bay A. aud P. Association was carried advocating that the Government take further steps to procure a parasite to eradicate the diamond black moth. Tlie council of the society was asked by the conference to go into the question of getting one uniform policy covering risk of accident to the public while attending agricultural shows.