ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22607, 26 June 1935, Page 5

ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY

ANNUAL CONFERENCE ELECTION OF OFFICERS (Pee United Press Association) PALMERSSTON N., June 25. The annual conference of the Royal Agricultural Society was commenced today. Its history was traced by Mr L. J. Wild in his presidential address, and he expressed the opinion that neither the society nor the Royal Show had yet completed the revolutionary period or reached the final form. Since the last conference the ground had definitely been consolidated both in the matter of membership and in Southland's second demonstration that an excellent and profitable Royal Show could be run, in spite of a geographical handicap. It was too soon to judge the success or otherwise of district councils, but if, as he believed, the men on them had consented to nomination because of their faith in the future of the society, and if they could place national interests before all others, then the councils would deserve success and would win it, and the history of the society would continue to be the history of the agricultural progress of the Dominion. The election of officers resulted as follows: —President, Mr L. J. Wild; vice-presidents, Messrs G. H. Macniven (Hawke's Bay) and A. S. Holms (Waimahaka); hon. treasurer, Sir William Hunt. It was decided that the council be asked to consider a scheme for subsidising the railage of stock to royal shows. Five minutes were sufficient for the disposal of a remit from the Flaxbourne A. and P. Association asking the conference to express strong opposition to the proposed lifting of the embargo on the importation of livestock from Great Britain. The remit was rejected almost unanimously. The use of synthetic wool and artificial fibres as substitutes for wool was briefly discussed. A remit from the Marlborough A. and P. Association asking the society to take steps if possible to assist manufacturers in combating this competition, possibly by advertising the value of real wool, was carried by the conference.