ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21986, 22 June 1933, Page 9

ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY

ANNUAL CONFERENCE ADOPTION OF REMITS (Pee United Peess Association.) WELLINGTON, June 21. The following remit was carried by the annual conference of the Royal Agricultural Society to-day:— 1 “ That as ability to pay is one, of the main canons of taxation, the present land tax should be replaced by income tax.” The conference also resolved —“ That unoccupied Native and Crown lands should be given rent free for a term of years to anyone undertaking to keep such lands free from noxious weeds and rabbits.” Mr H. B. Stuckey (Dannevirke) moved —“ That while advocating reduced departmental expenditure, this conference feels that it would be false economy to curtail entomological research at the Cawthron Institute through a shortage of funds.” Mr Stuckey said that the longer such work was put off the longer the country would have to wait for remedies. The Cawthron Institute was doing absolutely necessary research work. The remit was carried.

A remit from Marlborough—“ That no importation of stock to New Zealand should be allowed from any country where foot-and-mouth disease has been known to exist during the period of two years preceding the date of such proposed importation,” was defeated. The election of officers resulted as follows: —President, Mr L. R. C. Macfarlane; vice-presidents, Professor R. E. Alexander and Mr S. Austin Carr; treasurer, Sir William Hunt; council—Messrs W. E. A. Gill (Wellington), A. Hunter (Hawera), J. Linklater, M.P. (Palmerston North), W. W. Massey, M.P. (Auckland), J. Edwards (Gore), G. Ross (North Otago), A. M. Weir (Southland), and A. F. Hawke (Invercargill). On the motion of Sir William Perry (Masterton) the following remit was adopted:—“That in view of the chided beef export continuing to be a success and in order to enable the farmers to keep up the quality of their beef breeds, the Government be asked to make it less costly to the farmer to import beef breeds.”

The president (Mr Macfarlane) brought forward a recommendation of the council to the effect that the Government be asked to set up a wool marketing boa’ L The South Island representatives expressed the view that there were too many boards already and too much control. Wool would be one of the first things to right itself, they said. Their suggestion that the remit should bo withdrawn was supported by Sir William Perry and adopted.

Sir William Hunt moved—“ That in order to prevent any friction in the trade with Great Britain over the quantities of .our exports, the Government be asked to make an immediate reduction in the Customs duties on Britishmade goods; further, that these reductions be made annually until all Customs duties on British goods disappear.” Sir William Hunt, referring to the Ottawa agreement, said the action of Britain had put New Zealand on trial as to what the Dominion wag prepared to do in the way of letting the British manufacturer in. If something were not done New Zealand would find herself under a quota.—The remit was carried. On the recommendation of the council, the conference passed a resolution supporting the policy of a free market as against quotas for Empire products in Britain, and urging upon the Government that nothing be done by the New Zealand representatives attending tho London Conference to prejudice the position with regard to the present policy of free markets.