FARMERS' CONFERENCE.;'

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12199, 15 July 1910, Page 7

FARMERS' CONFERENCE.;'

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The ninth annual Dominion Conference pi the New Zealand Fanners' Union was resumed yesterday. Mr Massey, M.P., attended the conference during the morning, and other members of Parliament and Professor Easterfield were present. , "OUR N.OPLE SELVES." Mr Massey, in responding Jo a welcome, said lie was glad to see the Farmers' Union was still prosperous and vigorous and hoped it. would do as good work in the future as in the past. Referring to a resolution passed on Tuesday, appreciating the Government's action in giving applicants the right of purchase of the Piako swamp lan<J, he said he did not object to credit being given to the Government when it was due. On this occasion, however, if any credit, was clue it was due to« the -•genuine member* of the freehold party in Parliament, "and to our noble selves." CHAIR OF AGRICULTURE. Professor Easterfield, in addressing the Conference emphasised the necessity ol establishing a chair of, agriculture at Victoria College. He said that in the secondary schools greater value would be gained if more attention was paid to the accurate teaching of science, and not the teaching of a number of scientific facts. The pupils should be taught by observation and experiment There was undoubtedly room for a chair of agriculture but if they merely established such a chair and did not supplement it, by spending at least four or five times the salary of the professor in connection with it, they "would not get much result. It was too often thought that as soon as a chair was established a subject was being properly looked at . If they were to get good .work done they would require a real expert to look after it, and those who were to benefit would need to have ft very deep scientific training. If New Zealand was going to have national wealth from agriculture every class of its agriculture must be thoroughly tested by a large number of experts. Eventually they would probably, need to be trained in the Dominion, and "would have to be of the best of rhe farmers' sons. He would be glad to see a proper agricultural school developed in connection with Victoria College. They were directed by the Government to specialise there in science but unfortunately they had no funds in order to make hiicli 'specialisations. AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS. A remit from Auckland urged that 'the Agricultural Implements Importation and Sales Act be repealed. Mr A. Schmidt (Auckland) said the Act appeared to them in the north to be a most iniquitous thing. Prices now were higher than they were before, and importers of machinery were making a profit of the whole difference between the manufactured price and the price of importation. This was contrary to the spirit .if the Act. PASTEURISING PLANTS. Mr J. W. Jones (Turanaki) moved, "That this Conference strongly recommends all dairy companies to instal pasteurising plants for the purpose of stamping out diseases among cattle and pigH." . ' . . , 'Che President said few people recognised the great importance of the matter. It w«s • absolutely necessary that something should be done. As w)on as the people were satisfied that the pasteurising machines were good there would be no difficulty in getting companies to put them in.

Mr C. J. Reakes, Government Veterinarian, said he was cordially in accord with the. .e---mit. Action had been forced upoiA the Department by circumstances. • Statistics Mid .-shown that the number of cattle and pigs aflected with' tuberculosis bud -steadily increased during the last three or four years, the increase in pigs being at the rate of 2 per cent per annum, so far as their .statistics -were uMiilnble. Another noticeable fact was that so far as pigs were concerned' they always found .in increase of tuberculosis in* these' animals coincident with tubercular disease in cattle. There would be no doubt that the by-products of niiiinals on which (lie pigs were fed communicated the. disease to them. Still they must not assume that because there wero u large number of pigs affected by tubercuin.as that a large number of coWs were givipg tuber c-nlur milk. They had to realise the fact (hit. they must tackle i the disease, and get it under control, it now cost the country too mucli altogether. The value of the animals condemned last year on account of the disease amounted to about £38,000. ,If one estimated the amount if indirect loss through depreciation "in condition and other/things the figures would bo very startling. He did no*, want people t.i lliink, however, that New Zealand was. a,. bud:y diseased country, this was not so. »'■■• > '>• ' The motion was carried. STOCK MATTERS.

Mr E. Maxwell (Tarannk'i) moved that t-va Conference strongly urges the Minister to h;>ve thoroughly qualified ' yeterinary surgeons up-, pointed us slock inspect ors, a reasonable lue to !»• charged owners of stock attended -vlien Hif veterinarians' services are professional;; c-alled in. Mr Reake.s said that now he had got the Lepartment in good working order, ,he hoped u ! hi able to expand the operation of the st/ick division in the direction of assisting . faniu is in the prevention of disease. ' The motion was carried. Tlip necessity for the establishment -of a .-\« (phi of inspection of stallions was advocated by Mr \V. .1. Birch, of M niton, who approved -f the scheme outlined by Mr C. J. Reukes. This would inflict the least hardship on owners, ani wouM be satisfactory. The- question was <no of great interest, and something' certainly ■ihoiild he done. ' Mr Keukes explained that a Bill on the subject should not apply to a stallion used solely ior the purpose of. its owner, or to thoroughbreds used for breeding racehorses for racing purposes. The Bill also should not apply to existing stallions when it first came into force, lint her they should work in the direction of ensuring that the rising generation was i;ee iroin hereditary misoundness. The examinations should he carried out by a board of cap able horse judges, including at least -tne r two veterinary surgeons. Amongst the :i ! s..'i.-.i'S included in any Hill passed should be bo-itj. spavin, ring bone, side hone, roaring, striiig: halt, shivering, bad hoofs, etc., nnd there should be power to appeal to the Minister and the Chief Veterinary Officer.

A ■ motion proposed by Mr Birch approv-jt? of Mr Reiikes' proposals was passed. - The Slaughteriimn's Federation wrote, sui< gc.st.ing that farmers should endeavor to »;•• prove the condition of their sheep going for. ward for slaughtering. The Union 00-i »••!« i> i that sheep should be crutched before biii'ig sent to the freezing works. The result would become apparent in the improved appearance of the carcases. Complaint had been mode by representatives of the freezing companies concerning tjie appehnuice of New Zealand mutton on the London market.

Mr Reakes said he was in close touch with the London market, and had not heard any complaint from liis agent concerning the appearance of New Zealand mutton. He would communicate with the freezing companies and find out what the complaints were, Mr Eustace Lane pointed out that this wns the first time the Farmers' Union had received recognition from any union. He suggested that the occasion be marked by receiving the : letter,' and acknowledging Its importance. He looked forward to the time when the farmers and the workers would come together and form one wtrong party for the government of the country. It wns decided to inform the union that it would recommend that more care he exercised by farmers to see that their sheep were properly - cleaned before they were sent to bo slaughtered.

NOXIOUS WKKDS. MrJ. \V. ,lonoß (Turnnnlci) moved "That it is imperative I hat iioxmiiih weed* lie cut earlier in the (season than at present, and Hint thin Conference urges upon the Government the necessity of having the Act more seriously enforced." The motion wns carried, with an addition that the Ktriet enforcement of the Act nliould be in those district;* where the local liodiex demnnded it. ' It wan also decided to request the Railway Department to adopt means of coping with. noxious weeda on the railway linen. ; LANP VALUKS ANI) TAXES. ' The following inotion from Taranaki was further considered, "That an the present system of valuing lnnd for talxation purposes has proved a complete failure, owing to the im- ( possibility of accurately separating the im- ! proved from the unimproved value, tlifa Conference considers a much fairer and much simpler _way would be to tax on the annual voj.ue tit the same rnte, and wiih the some exemption^ as capital invested in other jndus-

Iri.v.. tin- annual \aluc lo I"; ; » I"' 1 ' l ' l '" t "' ""-' ■capital value." The Chnirman said that possibly niting on 'tho capital value would iiiPiui an increase in stuxatinn. It, would probably bo wiser to post[pone the remits dealing with the question, and ' rpfer them back to tho branches. , Sir Maxwell (Tnriumki) said the question had •Im'cmi fully considered by Hie Taranaki branch. The proposal would lie Hie first move m the 'matter, though a groat, deal might not conic of it -At once. • . ' Mr Evans (Kaiapoi) said that if the farmers sat down and allowed the towns lo tax them, then the rising generation did not have the grit it ought, to have. Taxation was put, on the farmers all the time. The remit, was referred lo the branchps, the Taranaki Union executive to draw up a statement of the posit/on. It. was decided to object to the present method of the Government in valuing land, inasmuch as some of the valuators did not go on the land to inquire and« see for themselves the improvements and state of the different properties and to recommend that valuers should be appointed from local authorities, to work in conjunction with the Government valuers; also that the valuation of the lands of the Dominion should be made periodically with not less than four years between such periods. Major Lnsk (Auckland) moved that all loan money spent by local bodies, and money spent by companies, be credited by Government valuers to improveuVents, instead of to nniin. proved value as at. present. He contended that after a locality had borrowed money and had to repay it. by a rate on the farmers and residents, it. was ' unfair that, it should have to pay a double portion by an increased tax put upon the land by the Government values of the improvement, e'ffected with the lmrrowed moneys.

The motion was carried. Mr Eustace liitue (Huwke's Bay) moved that it is the opinion of this Conference that the fanners of the Dominion have helped to create the increment in the unimproved value of city and suburban property, nnd should be exempt from the fresh taxation which the Premier has proposed for the furtherance of artificial industrial conditions. Mr Lane said his object was to draw attention to the Land Bill which was to be introduced this session. Judging from what had been made public of it there was going to he an introduction of the increment fax, while another proposal was to go directly in the opposite direction, and exempt city and subiirbn>j properties, exactly j the opposite of what was done in the Old Country. In his opinion there should be .is little taxation of country lands as possible. Farming was an industry, (he prime industry, and it should not be taxed 'directly. It was already taxed directly to suit artificial industries. He moved theVemit, as n protest against the proposed legislation. Mr .J. K. Lane (Hawke's Bay) seconded the 1 motion. Mr .J. McQueen (Invercargill) suggested that the remit should he dropped. j Mr llockly (Huntprville) thought the motion was mulling a broad statement of. fact, which the Conference would not find if ■•. very ' difficult to prove. Eventually the motion was carried in an amended form, as follows: "Thai.. . (his Conference protests against, the proposal to remit, tavfttiou (in city hinds when taxation on country lands is retained."