FARM INTERESTS

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 16, 21 July 1921, Page 4

FARM INTERESTS

COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURE

ANNUAL CONFERENCE OPENED

"COURAGE AND HABD WOBK."

The eighth annual conference of the New Zealand Council cIX, Agriculture was opened in Wellington yesterday. Delegates were present in force' from the various agricultural awl pastoral and breeders' societies of the Dominion, of which 45 were represented. Mr. W. Perry, of Master-ton, presided.

! The Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. W. Nosworthy), in opening the conference, apologised for the absence of the Acting-Prime Minister and the Minister of Lands. Since the last conference, he said, the agricultural position had become less satisfactory, but an improvement was hoped for, if not at once, in the near future. Through the Wool Committee the Government ■ had taken action to meet the- great slump in wool and had entered into a form of cooperation with "Bawra,*"' but the Government wished to interfere as little as possible with markuting conditions. I Ho was glad to see thnt some; improve'merit in prices had been shown since the arrangement of which he had spoken. Having referred very, briefly to the fact that high freights, robbed the producers of much of- their profits from meat, Mr. Nosworthy spoke of the dairying outlook, which, he -said, was very much brighter than it had been a few weeks ago.' He had hopes of last year's .record being broken. The Prime Minister had in hand the 'shipping problem. New Zealand had every prospect if starting next season with the refrigerating floors clear, which was a better position than they had been- in for years. , Cro.ps last year had been satisfactory, although prices in some instances had not been as high as some would have liked. The farmers had "waded into" the wheat problem well last year, and he hadi hopes ttia# the country, under the new condition!, would te independent of outside supplies. Mr. Nosworthy also spoke of the serious drop in the number of sheep in New Zealand, a«d,a» reported yesterday, urged farmers not. to neglect this side of farming. There were big things Tjefore the country, but unless the' primary producers were prosperous there would be no prosperity throughout the Dominion. It would ue years after the coming- of hydro-electric power pefore the secondary industries would be in a position to take the place of the primary producers. Whoever else went to the wall the primary producers must be kept going. This was a time for courage and perseverance and ha.rd work on the part of everyone in New Zealand; only in that way could success come. The retiring president (Mr. J. Turnbull) ,was unable to be present, and an address prepared by Mr. W. D. Hunt (a member of the executive) was read instead of the usual retiring' president's address. Extracts from this Were given in last night's Post. • Mr. G L. Marshall, of Marion., was elected president for the ensuing year, and took the chair. The conference then conaidered remits. A Marton remit brought tip the question of the clashing of show dates. After a, lengthy discussion, it was resolved that disputes between associations, in regard to da-tes be referred to the executive, which was asked to set up committees, one for each island, to: arbitrate on the question. The y Mana.watu and West' Coast Association again brought up the question of the taxation of show grounds, and, at its instigation, the following remit was carried :—"That the Government having Tecognised 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 apricultura.l show grounds from local bodies' taxation provided that the grounds so exempted are bona fide show grounds, and any revenue accruing therefrom is used only for the purpose of advancing and building up the agricultural, and pastoral industry."