ROMNEY MARSH SHEEP BREEDERS’ ASSOCIATION

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6631, 9 June 1928, Page 3

ROMNEY MARSH SHEEP BREEDERS’ ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL MEETING .

At the annual meeting of tho New Zealand Eomney Marsh Sheep Breeders' Association, to bo held at Palmerston North on Thursday, 21st inst., tho following report wall be presented;— Owing to increased expenditure, mainly due to additional amounts spent on advertising and preparation of tho new illustrated booklet, there is a small loss on the general account for the year; while tho accumulated fund is further reduced by the contribution of £IOO, being tho first instalment of three annual grants promised to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Eoscarcli for investigation in wool research, and the education of the farmers throughout the Dominion on w T ool qualities.

In expending the funds of the association in these directions, your council is sure that adequate return will accrue for the outlay. Your president, who is a member of the Scientific and Ecsearch Council, will have something to say to members at the annual meet ing,'on the work of the department in this direction.

Your council is pleased to state that another good year has been experienced as far as our export business is concerned. During tho past 12 months export certificates for 541 stud sheep were granted for shipments to Argentina, Patagonia, U.S.A., Chile, Australia, and British East Africa.

During the year the new illustrated booklet on our Eomney sheep was published in both the English and Spanish languages, copies have been circulated to sheep breeders all over the world, and it is felt that this medium of advertising our New Zealand Eomney sheep, will bo the medium of increasing our export trade. Your council made tho usual grant of £SO to the Eoyal Agricultural Society of Now Zealand, as a donation toward the prize money for tho Eomney classes at the Eoyal Show. Now it has been decided by the society to bold the Eoyal Show in tho autumn, it is hoped that our members will support tho society with their entries and make the Eomney classes tho leading sheep section at this important fixture.

Volumnc 34 of the flock book containing tho breeding returns for 1927, is now being printed and will include the following registered sheep:—

Ewe lambs 42,642 Earns entered singly 1,429 133,063

An increase of 0106 over the figures in the previous volume. Your council has had under consideration during the year the question of compulsory inspection of all flocks, which was referred back by the last annual meeting. This important matter was exhaustively examined first by a sub-committee and then by the whole council, and a report dealing with the subject will be placed before you at the annual meeting. For the benefit of those members unable to be present at the meeting, it might be stated that the council could not recommend the adoption of compulsory inspection for several reasons, the chief being cost to members and the inability of securing the services of sufficient competent men to act as inspectors. The council, however, strongly urges all members to have their flocks voluntarily inspected each year.

The following members of the council retire by rotation in accordance with the rules of the association: Messrs. J. Corpe, J. W. Harding, J. Mosley, W. Roxburgh, and E. E. Short, all of whom are eligible for re-election. .