FARMERS CONFER

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 17, 19 July 1918, Page 3

FARMERS CONFER

NEW ZEALAND COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURE

THE CONFERENCE CONCLUDED

The annual conference of the New Zealand Council of Agriculture was continued yesterday afternoon, Mr. Gr. A. MacDonald (Orari) being in the chair.' Mr. A. H. Cockayne, biologist to trie Department of Agriculture, read an instructive paper on "The Growing of Root Crop Seeds." He answered a number of questions, and was accorded a cordial vote of thanks. Conference then proceeded with the consideration of miscellaneous remits. Mr. W. D. Hunt moved as follows on behalf of the Southland A. and P. Association : "That, in the opinion of the conference, there should be only /one breeders' society for each breed of animals, and one register for each." Mr. W. Perry (Masterton) seconded the motion, and in doing so advocated the Government stamp being put on all pedigree stock exported from New Zealand, whenever the breeders' societies were all pulling the one way. The remit was carried. Mr. G. E. Beamish (Hawkes Bay) moved as follows: "That, in view of the want of uniform treatment by pastoralists of foot-rot, which has seriously increased in Hawkes Bay this year, the Government be urged to make exhaustive experiments, and advise as to the best treatment." The remit was seconded by Mr. George Hunter, M.P., and on his suggestion, Dr. Beakes addressed the conference. Dr. Beakes said there had bean a prevalence of foot-rot in the Hawkes Bay district of late, which was due to the wet seasons. He would recommend the use of copper sulphate as a foot bayth, in the proportion of half a pound of sulphate to a gallon of water. He would also advise farmers to be on the safe side by treating ■ all forms of foot-rot as contagious. The remit was carried. Mr. W. D. Hunt.(Southland) moved: "That further steps be taken to urge upon the Government to have investigations made for the cause and prevention of dry-rot in turnips."—Carried. SHEEP DIP AND OPOSSUMS. Mr. Orbell (Otago) moved : "That the Department of Agriculture be urged to certify to the. value or otherwise of all sheep dip mixtures offered for sale in the | Dominion, "vyith a view to ascertaining whether the mixture nut up may be deemed a satisfactory dir> for killing ticks and lice on sheep." The advisablcness of the proposal was stressed .by various speakers, and the motion was carried. Sir Walter Buchanan moved : "That the conference is of opinion that the protection of opossums is not in the interests of the Dominion." Ho'laid emphasis on the damage done by the opossum to fruit crops. There was a good deal, of opposition to the remit, several speakers considering the opossum, by the value of its skin, to be an economic asset of the Dominion. It was pointed out that the matter applied differently in various districts, in some the opossum was a menace, and in others comparatively harmless. The motion, which was seconded by Mr. H. R. Bunny (Carfcerton), was lost. SHOW MATTERS. The following remits, from Hawkes Bay, Manawatu, Timaru, and Manawatu respectively, were dealt with :— Show Entries: "That agricultural and pastoral societies be asked to absolutely refuse-all ;show entries which are received too late to be printed in their proper places in the show catalogue." Qualified Hunters at Shows : "That, owing to the difficulties faced by hunt clubs in continuing operations whilst the war is on, it be a recommendation to A. and P. Association committees to accept as. qualified for their competions during the continuance of the war, hunters which have been qualified previously with-any club which may have 'ceased operations on account of the war as-before mentioned." Railway Facilities : "That the Government be urged_ to run special trains to and from agricultural shows where such can be done without interfering with the requirements of the Efficiency Board." Taxation of Show Grounds: "That the Government, having recognised the principle of exempting " show grounds from land and income tax, be again strongly urged to make .mandatory those clauses in. the'■ Rating-Act which give power to local bodies to exempt agricultural show grounds from local bodies' taxation, provided that the grounds so e.'.'fimpted are bona fide show grounds, and any revenue accruing therefrom is issued only for the purpose of advancing and building up the agricultural and pastoral industry." , In regard to the first of the above remits it was pointed out that the passing of it would be detrimental to small shows, and the remit was withdrawn by the Hawkes Bay delegates. . The second remit was carried. The remit regarding special trains was the subject of some discussion. The depletion of the Railway Department's staff owing: to' the war was stressed. The remit, with the deletion of the word "special" before the word trains was carried. Th.c remit regarding taxation, before the conference several times previously, was carried. GENERAL. Other remits dealt with were as follow :— Enemy Aliens : "That the Government be urged to conscript for national work all eligible enemy aliens and persons of enemy alien descent who may claim exemption (on account of their enemy origin."—Carried. Territorial Camps: "That the Government be again urged to discontinue territorial camps during the' period of the war." —Lost. Governing Powers : "That the rules of the New Zealand Council of Agriculture be revised giving the executive power to enforce tho rulings of the conference." •—There was. some discussion on this remit, and eventually ari amendment, as follows, proposed by Mr. W. Perry (Masterton). was carried: "That the question of increasing the powers of the Council of Agriculture be referred to the executive to report-to the next conference, and that the Mnnawatu Association be nsked to confer with the executive to formulate the alterations they wish to be made in the constitution to secure the additional powers they are asking for.

A Timaru remit urged that the annual conference of the- Council of Agriculture be hold in the North and South Tsiands alternately. The matter was discussed at some length, the principal feature* in favour of Wellington being the place of meeting beint; the presence of Department:!! officials. Conference eventually decided that. it. should bo a recommendation to council to consider the Tjrnaru pro-

posal. For tho reason that the war is on and that members can do better work by remaining at home on their farms, a Canterbury remit, moved by Mr. J. Deans (Coalgate) urged that on its rising conference bo ndiourncd cine die. The benefits of the. conference were, referred to by several speakers, and eventually the remii. <"-- —i*l>dra\vn-

MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. The election of members of the council in place of those retiring resulted :— North Island: Messrs. E. Hall, Q. Donald, E. A. Campbell. South Island: Messrs. W. D. Hunt, J. Macpherson, and R. W. Lochhead. NOTICES OF MOTION. In accordance with notice, Mr. J. H. Perrett (Wangamii) moved "that this conference considers it advisable, on account of the shortage of shearers, that all sheep-owners should be asked to engage wherever possible one learner' to every four shearers or part thereof." The motion was carried unanimously. Mr. J. 0. Coop (Little River) moved: "That the controlling authorities of the various stud herd and Hock books be strongly recommendedo to take into consideration the cases of owners of stock eligible for registration who have failed to register within a given period, and make some provision for the admission of such stock to their registers." This motion was also carried, and the conference concluded.