POULTRY AND EGGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3100, 13 August 1913, Page 34

POULTRY AND EGGS.

REQUEST FOR CONCESSIONS

VALUE OF THE INDUSTRY. (From Odr Own- Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, August 11

A deputation from the New Zealand j Poultry Association waited on the Prime ! Minister this evening for the purpose of j bringing before him certain matters con--1 nected with the poultry industry. The deputation, which was introduced by, Mr j A. Harris, M.P. for Waitemata, consisted j of Messrs S. Brittain Bull, of Auckland (president of the association), S. H. Scott, I and A. G. Mumby (vice-presidents), W. j Bierre (Palmerston North), and \V. Jesi sen (Wellington). i Mr Bull, who acted as spokesman, said that the requests of the deputation were principally contained in the following resolutions, which were passed at the annual conference held in Auckland m March last:—(1) That the Agricultural Department be requested to undertake an egg-laying -competition at the Ruakura State Farm, and that the number of hens , be equal for both heavy and light breeds, i (2- That the department be asked to i undertake experimental tests to endeavour j to arrive at the approximate o-sts of | feeds for the heavy and light breeds of fowls to ascertain their relative values foi products obtained, and strenuously urge the department to encourage the poultry industry in view of its increasing maginture. (5) That this conference of the New Zealand Poultry Association desires to lay 1 before the Government the difference n treatment between the poultry and the fruit industry —that as against a director and an assistant director and a large staff of instructors for the fruit industry, Ave, who produce four or five times more in i value, have only one instructor. (4) The ; The desirability of putting poultry farmers on the same footing as fruit fanners with regard to railway charges. (5) The desirability of bringing poultry appliances under agricultural, horticultural, and viti- , cultural machinery in the Customs slassifi--1 ration, the duty at present being from 1 20 to 25 per cent. ; In speaking in regard to the first resoi lution, Mr Bull said that at the competi- ; tion at Papamii a record was put up last 1 year in egg production, but what had been done there did not carry the same I weight as if it bad been under the Goj vernmeivfc supervision. As showing the value of the industry to New Zealand,

Mr Bull said that the last census shewed that there were some three million birds in the dominion. Allowing a reduction of 10 per cent, for non-producing birds, this would give 2,700,000 egg-producing birds. Estimating the value of the eggs at an average of ICs a Tear each, this gave a total of £1,350,000. When the value of the export trade was taken into account, it was found that the total value of the industry to the dominion was about £1,500,000 yearly. The fruit industry was worth only about one-third of that amount. The deputation also desired to secure a satisfactory definition of “fresh eggs.” Eggs which were not new should not be stamped and sold as such. Newmarket. it was stated, was suffering a great deal through inferior eggs being sent to the market. Mr Massey: How would you define fresh eggs?

Mr Bull: Those which are not more than four or five days or at the most a week old.

The Pijme Minister, in replying, congratulated the deputation on the way in which the industry was progressing. As far as the request for the egg-laying competition at Ruakura was concerned, be was not quite certain as to the facilities there, or whether the staff was competent to undertake the supervision of the competition. He would inquire into the matter and let the deputation know the result. Personally, he could not see why the competition could not be arranged. He thought that the experimental food tests could be arranged without difficulty. As to instructors, he was not quite certain that there was the same necessity for poultry instructors as there was for fruit instructors. The fruit industry was almost in its infancy, but it was finely to become a big thing. He agreed, of course, that the poultry industry was also capable of great development. He would look into the point raised as to railway charges. He believed that the deputation had a grievance. Mr Hands; You can briim a case of fruit from Auckland for a shilling, but to bring a case of eggs you have to pay 7s 4d.

Mr Bull: It costs Is 9d to bring a case' of eggs from Palmerston North, whereas a case of the same size of fruit is brought for 6d Mr Massey said that the railway charges would be revised in two or three months, and the matter would then be gone into. In regard to the duties on appliances, he said that there were certain anomalies in the tariff which required alteration, but he was not prepared at present to say to what extent these would be dealt with this session.