AUCKLAD AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13355, 8 December 1906, Page 3

AUCKLAD AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION.

A MEETING of the Executive Committee of the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association was held yesterday. The president, Mr. R. Hall, occupied the chair, and there was a good attendance. A (Protest: A protest had been entered by Mr. T. A. Meat? against th& award in class 156 at the show, grade Jersey heifer, but it was deferred, owing to Mr. Hears' absence.

Now Members: -Messrs. J. W. Slater, .T. Reynolds, E. Phillips, G. Foster. M. X. Downey, W. 11. Hart, J. Roulston, and Bishop were nominated and elected new members.

Carriage of Stock on Railways: The chairman reported that a deputation, representative of the Freezing 1 Company, the Waikato stock shippers, and the Agricultural and Pastoral Association, waited on the railways traffic manager, to ask that greater care should be taken in the carriage of stock on the railways. The deputation asked that a I night stock train should be. provided. The traffic manager said he could not promise a night train so long as there were two sales in the week. He was then asked if the fat stock were all sold on one day -would he provide a night, train, and he replied that* perhaps the Department might consider it. Mr. Salmon .-aid the Freezing Company pointed out that out of 1600 quarters of beef 80 were bruised in railway transit. He was. sorry to say the Railway Department held out little, encouragement to hope for improvement. Ho moved, "That a deputation wait on the Minister for Railways, when he is first in Auckland, to lav the whole matter before him." Mr. T. Ooates stated that stock he had brought down the north line the other day had been from two to two hours and a-half delayed at Newmarket. The motion was then carried.

Association and Railway Department: The president read a copy of the HEBAID interview with the Hon. R. McNab on a. comparison between the Auckland show and Southern show?, and said with regard to Mr. McNab's suggestion about a permanent show ground and railway facilities, when the association was preparing, or prepared, to make use of the show ground at Filerslie, it waited on the railway traffic manager, and was informed that the Railway Department would not undertake- to carry the people to the show. The secretary said the Department had refused to put on extra trains, or strengthen the existing ones, and practically told the association to take its traffic elsewhere. The association even agreed to give, the Department 25 per cent, more than the ordinary fares, but the Department refused to carry the people unless the association gave £3100 for a platform. The Auckland people would long ago have had a. show ground of their own if the Railway- Department had not refused to carry the passengers. Mr. Dick said the Department had quite made up its mind before the deputation waited upon it not to meet the association at all. Mr. McNab's statement might be used as a lever when the association wanted concessions in regard to its new ground at Otahuhu. A Show Error: Mr. F. J. Quick wrote complaining that the official catalogue and the newspapers had reported the first prize in yearling pedigree .Jersey bulls as going to Mr. R. Ferrall's Wairarapa, whereas the writer's bid! Fitzhercules won. The secretary stated that ho believed that Mr. Quick was correct; a clerical error in the official catalogue, had led to the mistake. Criticising the Judging: Mr. T. Coates said he had been very dissatisfied with the judging in some of the classes at the show. In the fat sheep classes the prize was given to Lincolns for freezers, and he never knew that Lincolns could compete with Shropshires. He would like to see a butcher appointed to act with the judges next year, iu the fat stock classes.