AUCKLAND A. AND P. CONFERENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2988, 21 June 1911, Page 14

AUCKLAND A. AND P. CONFERENCE.

The various Agricultural and Pastoral Associations of Auckland have combined to form an affiliated body, which will discuss from time to time any agricultural matters c<f interest which may be brought before them. Their object is to promote d> spirit of fellowship, to secure those industrial and commercial conditions most favourable to thai' permauenfT prosperity of farmers, to institue a bureau for the collection of information calculated to be of vi&i to the country associations, and generally to advance by every available means tihe interests of agriculture in the Dominion. The proposals also embrace the framing of rules and regulations whereby agricultural shows throughout the provincial district shall be worked as nearly as possible on the same lines. In other words, jointly to fulfil all the duties that such societies can be expected to undertake without overlapping or duplicating the work of the federated Farmers' Union. In regard to country telephones, the conference adopted the following motion:—"That the Agricultural Associations and Farmers' Clubs throughout the province be urged to encourage the extension of the telephone system, in rural districts by endeavouring to> induce local authorities and local residents to establish telephone systems in centres where the Government cannot undertake to do so." As pointed! out recently, the greatest encouragement the. Government can give country settlers is to lower the cost of the items supplied by them, and the coat of sending messages, which is at present excessive, and make the charges compare more favourably with those of other countries.

A motion to rearrange the dates of their wool sales was also carried, and the president was requested to attend the first meeting of the Woolbrokers' Association. and try to arrange a date not earlier than the first week in December. Many of the back-block settlers find that it is impossible, on account of bad roads and want of facilities, to' get their wool in early enough for the first sale in November. On the other hand, sheep are shorn in September and October, and evidently the claims of their owners to realise are not to be considered. In any case, it was pointed out that buyers must have an opportunity of visiting each centre in turn, and considerable dislocation would probably take place if the date were altered.

A number of very interesting questions were discussed. Mr T. E. Sedgwick gave an address on his immigration scheme, and commented! on the success of his first batch of 50 boys, who had now settled down to work in real good earnest. " Already the experiment had proved a splendid "success, and we are ready to develop a scheme as large as the farmers of New Zealand like." Mr Sedgwick, according to Town and Country Life, thought that the exports from New Zealand could be increased by £6,000,000 per year if the farmers had the assistance they required for the full development of their land — a statement which ought to receive due consideration from our Minister of Agriculture and induce him to continue the process, and direct an overflowing stream of farm servants, as well as boys, to our shores; Referring to the servant girl question, the suggestion was made that an easy solution of the problem would be to import large parties of girls from Home and apprentice them to New Zealand mistresses. The idea is worth considering, and associations might be formed" in the various centres to provide the necessary guarantees of appointment. The Government will take no action in the matter till pressure is brought to bear by associated bodies interested.

An important discussion took place on the nativ© land question, and the following motion was carried in reference to that subject—viz.:—"That the time has arrived at when the settlement of native lands should be made a national question." A committee was set up to bring the matter favourably before the Minister. A suggestion was thrown out that this subject should be considered quite apart from party politics, and it was decided by way of instructing southern members of the House, that a sketch of the North Island be prepared and circulated showing the existing position of native land relatively to that occupied by settlers. It seems the height of folly that thousands of acres of magnificent land should be lying practically waste when it might be used for occupation, and that without impoverishing the Natives in the slightest. Properly arranged, the land might be made to provide a steady, reliable income for the Native race, which would become payable at regular intervals, and thus prevent them from squandering their means recklessly. To us in the south it seems an extraordinary thing that such an arrangement has not been made already. The secretaries and committees of Agricultural and Pastoral Associations find as a rule that the duties of running summer and winter shows are sufficiently arduous 1 , without devoting much time to those questions which deal with the improvement of the farmer's position. Metropolitan societies are less concerned with the welfare of the individual, than with the prosperity of the Dominion as a whole, and devote their valuable time more to discussing vital questions of interest to the farming community, and acting as an advisory body to it, than to clinching home any necessary reform, and pursuing it, wherever it may lead, till 6>uecce3 is achieved'. The latter dirty appertains to the Farmers' Union, whose members a.vc personally and directly interested in any change suggested. To avoid overlapping it is desirable that the re-

spective duties of these representative bodies should be clearly defined.