Ayrshire Cattle Breeders’ Council Meeting

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 144, 20 June 1936, Page 6

Ayrshire Cattle Breeders’ Council Meeting

The Ayrshire Cattle Breeders’ Association of New Zealand hold its annual moeting in Palmerston North on Thursday evening. Mr J. G. Donald presided, and in opening the meeting said that the club’s fiannees were showing a satisfactory balanco and he hoped that, with tho improved times and the Government’s new dairy scheme, they wo.uld continue to make progress. Sjnce tho last meeting everything 'had brightened in general and a fairly heavy expenditure had been maintained. Ho extended, on behalf of the council, hearty congratulations to Mr C. Morgan Williams,, a member, who had been successful as a Labour candidate, and also drew attention to the good work done for tho association by Mr R. McCay, tho secretary. Speaking of the registration of herds, Mr Donald pointed out that Mr McCay had in tho past difficulty in getting the herd-book together because the owners of herds were somewhat lax in getting their results in. IVith regard to the actual testing, ,it was tho duty of all breeders to test, and test regularly, as it would‘give an impetus to the breed. Raising of Embargo A much-debated point, Mr Donald continued, was the raising of the embargo. Introducing new blood into the strain seemed to have a good effect on the breed in Australia, and it seemed that there -was no possible reason why it should uot have the same material effect ou the breed in New Zealand. If the embargo were lifted uew strains could bo imported. In supporting Mr Donald, Mr C. Morgan Williams stated that he had definitely come to tho conclusion that the embargo should be lifted provided that all precautions wero taken. Besides having an improved effect on the breed it would also have a good moral effect at Home.

Mr F. Mills, seur., of Hawera, moved the following motion; ‘ 'That in future tour members of the council shall retire annually and that at each annual general meeting the first officers to be elected shall be four members of the council, after which the president and other officers shall be elected from the council at the annual meeting; the members of the council to retire in each year shall be the members who have been longest in office' since their last election.” The motion was carried.

Mr A. M-. Weir (Menzies Ferry) moved: “That two years from this date no bulls will be accepted for registration in the herd book unless they are eligible for the advanced registry. ’ ’ In support of his resolution he stated that as there seemed to be a large market for bulls of no butter-fat value iu the North Island, they felt that in Southland, where that was not the case, such a state of affairs was dangerous to the breed. • They must combine utility with type, he continued, and it was a sorry day when bulls wero being sold without any butterfat value.

Mr Morgan Williams supported Mr Weir, stating that the requirements for advanced registry were not difficult and that a registered animal implied merit.

Mr W. C. Wallace, who spoke against the motion, pointed out that a good sale could be had without a butter-fat backing. However, he was not against registration, only compulsion. Butterfat bulls without type would endanger tho breed.

Mr Mills stated that he was not op posed to testing, but herd-testing, as in Scotland, should be done without compulsion. The motion was lost.

Mr Morgan Williams presented Mr J. G. Donald with the British medals awarded for the best Ayrshire breed. The following officers were elected: President, Mr J. G. Donald (re-elect-ed) ; vice-presidents, Messrs A. Atkins, J. Parlane and J. T. Wilson; treasurer, Mr F. Mills; additional member of committee, Mr W. Oates; auditor, Mr T. F. Mackenzie.