AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14690, 26 May 1911, Page 8

AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS.

FARMERS IN CONFERENCE,

BURNING QUESTIONS DEBATED

'A coNFKBExcr. of delegates from the- van oils agricultural associations in the Auck' land province was held in the Hall 0 Commerce yesterday. A largo number of important questions were discussed and the meeting was enthusiastic throuch' T,\ A lr -,, Jas ? L Philli!,ps ' v™& of the Auckland Association, occupied the chair, and there were about 30 delegates present.

The chairman, referring to the sugg tion made at last conference for the for. mation of a farmers' social club, said i n . quiries had been made, and it was found that tho expense would he rather heavy. Arrangements bad, however, been nude to divide up the office of the association so as to provide a clubroom for farmers. Tho committee appointed to consider the"' formation of a graziers and breeders'aggo. eiation, with a view to getting better prices for live stock, had decided to entrust that movement to tin; Farmers' Union Co-operative Trading Company The Auckland Association proposed to make another effort, next spring to start, a competition, in which £30 in prizes would be. offered for lite herd of dairy cows producing tho largest amount of butter-fat per cow during a fixed period. : Rural Telephones. Mr. Somervihc (To Kuiti) moved: "That the agricultural associations and farmers' clubs throughout the province'be urged to encourage the extension of the telephone system in rural districts by endeavourini; to induce local authorities and local residents to establish telephone systems in centres where the Government cannot undertake to do so."

Mr. J. G. Rutherford seconded the resolution, which was carried.

The secretary stated that a letter had been received "from the Prime Minister on this subject. County councils had jx>wcr to contract with "the Postmasterueneral for the erection of telegraph arid telephone communications. No other local authorities appeared to have power to spend money on telephones. Local telephone, systems, established by restdents, wore already in existence.

The Chairman said the Government was willing to assist settlers who desired to erect rural telephones, and proposed to grant aid, according to the importance of the line, where an association of settlers erected a system. The Prime Min. ifiter had intimated that settlers who were willing to subsidise the Departmental lines would also be materially relieved. After further discussion, the conference "appointed Messrs. Hall (Auckland), Makgill (Waiuku), and Harding (Kaipara) to take steps to have printed a leaflet on the subject. Importing Boy Labour Mr. T. E. Sedgwick waited on the association, and) gave an interesting address on the progress of his immigration scheme for lads. He said town lads who had already been brought out from Home were doing well on farms throughout the coun. try. Employers had told him that- these lads were quite as good on farms as the native-born; they were keen, anxious to learn, and willing workers. The employers of the first party of 50, and their immediate neighbours had stated their wil--1 lingness to engage another 100 if brought out. Speaking of opposition to the scheme, Mr. Sedgwick said there was no possibility of crowding out the New Zealanders by bringing out these lads, for there was plenty of room for both. The lads were carefully selected, and they would make good settlers in New Zealand; Mr. R. Dick (Auckland) moved:—"That having regard to both the scarcity of suitable young labour on farms, and the success which has attended the Government's experiment of bringing town lads from Home to work on farms in the Dominion, this meeting urges upon the Minister for Labour to take such steps as may be necessary to bring out further parties of similar lads suitably selected to situations provided for them before their arrival, and thus increase the output of products and exports and provide settlers of good type for settlement on the land in the future." Mr. J. R. Walters (Auckland) seconded the motion, which was carried unani* mously. Native Lands. Mr. Gadesby (King Country) moved, " That the time has arrived when the settlement of native lands should be made a national question." " It was suggested that maps be procured with the native lands painted in black, and that these be sent to Southern members of Parliament, whose assistance was necessary to alter the present position. Mr. J. G. Rutherford (Kaipara) said the question was, a very important one. The native lands should be opened under the control of the Government, and then they would no longer have the spectacle of land worth thousands of pounds growing a few kumaras. /■■ The motion was carried unanimously, and the following committee was set up to go into the question: —Messrs. J. M. Phillipps (Auckland), J. G. Rutherford (Kaipara), R. Somerville (Te Kuiti), J. Barugh (Waikato), W. A. Bennett (TV Puke), and A. Aicken (Bay of Islands). The Wool Sales. Mr. Coat&s (North Kaipara) moved that a recommendation be made to the Woolbrokers' Association that the first wool safe be held not earlier than the first week in December.

Delegates maintained that the farmers should have a "say" in the arrangement of dates, as well as the buyers. It was complained that the present dates were unsuitable to the back-country settlers./ The secretary said a similar resolution had been passed at the last conference, "but ho had been informed that the auctioneers had to fall in with the wishes of the European woolbuycrs. The dates were arranged to suit them. v , Mr. Maurice Harding (Kaipara) said he found the dates of wool sales very suitable. It did not seem to him reasonable to alter the dates when they werefixed by buyers, who might pass over the sales if their wishes were not met. The motion was put to the meeting and carried, and it was also decided to endeavour to secure representation for the A. and P. Associations when the dates arefixed by the Woolbrokers' Association.

Assisting Associations. On the motion of Mr. Harding (Kaipara) it. was decided to forward a remit to tlio general conference in Wellington (probably in August next) suggesting tnat it endeavour to secure greater powers lor A. and P. Associations in dealing «»in land and property. . It was agreed, on the motion or Mr. James Anderson (Waikalo). to pa* a remit for the conference, suggesting nat A. and P. Associations should he exempt from taxation. .. It was decided, on the motion of fir. Richard Reynolds (Cambridge), that a committee be set up to secure iin'Wf in show-ground regulations -and conge a uniform schedule for agricultural assort* tions in the province. . Colours for award cards wee agreed to as follows -.-First prize, red; second blue; third, orange; very Inghly «JJ mended, green ; highly commended, g commended, yellow ; champion, red, wBK* and blue. _,