DAIRYING INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19060, 3 July 1925, Page 11

DAIRYING INDUSTRY.

IMPROVEMENT OF HERDS. ! I . I DOMINION TESTING SCHEME.* ~ ■ I GOVERNMENT HELP WANTED. REQUEST FOR A SUBSIDY. i ■ — ! [B7 TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] k HAWERA, Thursday. I Unanimous support for group herd testing and for the proposal, emanating from Waikato, that tho Government bo approached for a subsidy to assist in tho es- j tablishment of a Dominion-wide scheme, i was forthcoming from tlie National Dairy | Association conference. J The chairman of the Control Board, Mr. j W. Grounds, said the group sys.tcm vould i ■not he wholly satisfactory' m scattered j and remote districts, but something could , bo done there through co-operation of fan- \ tories. New Zealand must not neglect.,any i opportunity of strengthening her. hand against competition, and herd testing offered a splendid advantage in that direction. He held the view very strongly that the Government should endeavour to associate itself with all progressive movements for tho development of tho industry, but the producers should go forward with that development, whether they got tho support of the Government or not. >lfc would bo "for the good of tho whole community to set the movement going, and lie hoped tho dairymen would put their whole weight behind itDealing with costs, Mr. R. M. Somerville, To Kuiti, said it was estimated that ; each cow would cost 5s annually. Of this . amount it was suggested that the Government should bo asked to grant a subsidy ' of Is a cow. The Governments in other • countries, notably England, Holland, Ire- * land and Australia were paying subsidies « and New Zealand would be creating no ( precedent. . " > S Mr. C. M. Hume, manager of tho New | Zealand Co-operative Herd Testing Asso- » ciation, enumerated the following reasons j why a Government sudsidy should be : paid:—(l) To eliminate cull cows; (2) to ! encourage marking of calves and thereby ' eradicate scrub bulls; (3) to reduce the 3 cost of testing. Definite progress could | be made only by testing year by year, and •' many farmers found that at 5s a cow testing was too dear; (4) to raise tho averago production of tho dairy herd. It was here that tho question of subsidy must be looked at from tho city standpoint. Increased production in the country would give mpre production in tho city. A Government subsidy would bo a community tax, and tho bulk of it would therefore bo found by the city people. That was why the Chambers of Commerce had been approached for support. (5) All New Zealand's competitors in the world's marts were subsidising herd testing. (6) Despite tho fact that tho Dominion had tho finest dairying climate in the world her buttcrfat average was only 1801b. If they could raise that to 2501b., and he had no hesitation in saying that with universal testing and calf-marking they could reach 2501b. within 10 years, that would mean, an extra income to the Dominion of £6,000,000 a year. (7) A subsidy was recognised, as being in the best possible interests of all classes of the community.. > On the motion of Mr. Roberts, Parkvale, it was nnanimously resolved that 'the conference, recognising the urgent necessity for improving ; the dairy herds to a higher butter-fat standard, urgod the dairy farmers to adopt herd testing undor proper methods and organisation, and requested the Government to assist by way of subsidy. REPLY TO THE CHAMBERS. NO EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY. FARMERS' UNION PROTEST. [By TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] HAMILTON. Thursday. - Tho action of tho secretary 'of the Dominion executivo and Auckland provincial oxecutive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union in notifying tho Associated Chambers of Commerce that ■ the union was not prepared to support the New Zealand Co-operative Herd-Testing Association in its request for a Government subsidy on group herd-testing, was tho subject of an indignant protest from tho To Kowhai branch, at tho meeting of', the Waikato sub-provincial executive. Mr. W. L, Magner, said tho Waikato sub-provincial branch had taken up the matter of herdtesting very earnestly, and it was through , their activities that group herd-testing had been enabled to grow to its present proportions. In spite of tho fact 'that practically all branches af the union had supported the Herd-Testing Association in its- request, tho Associated Chambers j of Commerce had received replies to their •, inquiries to the effect that the Farniers' 4 Union was not prepared to take any steps J m the matter. He considered it a direct , affront to tho farmers 'of the Waikato. \ Mr. 14. D. Duxfield said there had been no meeting of either of the executives since'tho inquiries had been made by,the • Chamber of Commerce. It was therefore impossible for tho letters to have been written by "instruction of tho. executives. The president, Mr. Barter, said he was opposed to a Government subsidy. Farmers were too frequently approaching the Government for concessions. He believed > in herd-testing, but considered it should stand on-its own legs. ' A resolution wis carried strongly' resenting the reported attitude adopted by the Auckland provincial and Dominion executive secretaries in their replies to tho Associated Chambers of Commerce. '