EMPIRE FARMERS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 16 August 1929, Page 6

EMPIRE FARMERS.

—4VISIT TO NEW ZEALAND. BIG PARTY TO ARRIVE NEXT YEAR, The secretary of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union (Mr J. Powj stated at Wellington on Wednesday that arrangements- were well in hand for the visit of a party oil British, Canadian, andi South African fanners to New Zealand in February next. The tour is being organised by the British National Union, in co-operation with tlxe New Zealand Farmers’ Union and the South African National Union, in pursuance of the British National Union’s policy of encouraging intercourse between people in different parts of the British Empire. The- party will be limited to 80 members, of whom 50 will be British farmers, 15 Canadian, and 15 South African. At the request of the executive of the union, the Right Hon. Lord Bledlisloe, chairman of the Imperial Grassland Association, and a wellknown British agriculturist, has council iedt to> act as leader of the party. The British party will leave by I lie Homuora, on, January 17, atul should arrive at Auckland! on February 20. A period of approximately 34 days will be spent in New Zealand, and* the return journey will, -be commenced, on March 25 from Auckland, the party returning via Australian posts. A week or ten days will be .spent in New South Wales and Victoria. The Canadians are to sail from Vancouver by the Aorangi on February 5, and are due at Auckland on February 23. They will leave for San Francisco from Wellington ibv the Makura on March 25. The South African farmers are- to leave Cape Town by the Runic on January 3, and: before arriving in New Zealand will spend a fortnight in Victoria and New South Wales. They tire due in New Zealand on February 14, and will return home with the British fanners on March 25. The cost of the; tour is from £250 for the British and South, African, farmer, to £l6O for the Canadian.

During the stay in New Zealand, from February 20 to March 25, the party will follow an itinerary prepared by the New Zealand Farmers’ Union in conjunction with the Railway Department. One tdav has been set aside on which an agricultural conference will be held, when at is hoped that in addition to the visitors and New Zealand delegates, representatives will be present- from Australia,

In all probability, after the 80 farmers, assemble at Auckland, they will vislit National Park, and then they will split into two parties, one of which will visit Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa, the other visiting Waitomo Taranaki, Manawatu and Wellington. One party will probably land a,t Nelson and make the West Coast tour, and the other will land at Pic-ton and travel down the east coalst. A. deailed itinerary has been prepared.