LOCAL A. AND P. NEWS

Otago Witness, Issue 2883, 23 June 1909, Page 20

LOCAL A. AND P. NEWS

The secretary of the- Otago Piovincial Council of th© New Zealand Farmers' Union (Mr H. Mitchell) has received the following communication from the Dominion secretary :— " I am instructed t» inform you that the Advisory Committee, after due consideration, has come to the decision that it would be advisable to hold the Dominion Conference at tlie usual time, as September or Octobsir would be inconvenient for delegates to attend, and it was thought that a meeting of the Dominion Executive could be hs.ld on the resumption of Parliament to deal with any deputation work that may be required. The conference will therefore be held on July 27, 28, and 29."

' The secretary of the Otago Provincial Council of the New Zealand Farmers' Union is in receipt of communications from the Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister of Railways, with respect to two resolutions passed by the council on June 2. The first was that the railage on hares should be the same as on rabbits. To this the Minister replies that the matter will have careful consideration. The other was with reference to the importance of the transportation of stock by rail. The Minister states that full inquiry will be made if any specific cases can be stated. It is the Minister's desire 'that every facility shall be given for the railway transportation of stock, and ho would be glad to receive further information.

The output of cheese from the Tuturau (Mataura) dairy factory for the season will be close on 60 tons. Tho directors have already paid Is per 1b for butterfat, and intend paying l^d more, making 13^d per Ib, to the end of April, and Is for the balance of tho season.

As showing the mildness of the season the Milton Mirror is ir formed that a flaxcutter at Rocky Yailey, near Mount Misery, came acio-ss a patch of wild stiawberries which were ouite ripe and delicious lo the tasfe; and it was then within a fortnight of ths middle of winter.

It is rumoured that the Railway Department is claiming four times the ordinary freight from several farmers in the Tokomairiro district, on account of the sacks of grain consigned by them weighing more than the regulation amount (200 ib), which recently came into force.

Settlers will be pleased (says the Mount Ida Chronicle) to learn thnt a grey ow! has beer, seen in the -listiiet O.ie made its home at Mr R. Johnstone'.°, Hill's Oreek, for several months, with the result that jrprirrows made a quick disapiiParancs frr.m the snot.

Tlie dairy industry is still going ahead in Southland. At a meeting at Makarewa, after an address by .Nir James M'Lauchlan, of Wvndham, ml the advantages of cooperation, guarantees were forthcoming that the milk of 300 cows would be supplied, and there were also promises which bring the total to 500. A motion affirming the desirability of establishing a ?o-operative dairy factory in the district was submitted to the meeting, and carried unanimously. A provisional directorate was formed, .in-d it was decided that the capital bo £3000 in £1 shares. There is every prospect of the company receiving liberal sflpport. In addition to the above a tender has been accepted for the labour in -connection with the erection of a dairy factory at Grove Bush, and plans and specificaf ions are being prepared for a factory at Waimumu.