FARMERS' UNION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 15747, 11 February 1922, Page 8

FARMERS' UNION.

CATTLE TICK MENACE

A meeting of the executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, P.B. provincial district, was held this afternoon. Present: Messrs. O. H. Bridge (chairman), J. 0. Black, M. T. Traflord, C. Leggatt, 0. V. Russell, and J. O. Meld

The chairman reported that during the month they had had visits from Messrs. Page and Gorringe. Despite the wet weather the itineries had been carried through. As a result of the visit the Cook County Council intended planting trees on spare spaces for shelter, lie hoped that as well as public bodies taking advantage of Mr. Page's visit to get benefits from reafforestation, private people would also. The speaker referred in very favorable terms to the leading article published in the Herald, concerning cattle tick. They .vere not against the Department, but if they battled away they hoped that steps would be taken to amend the regulations. At last meeting it was decided to write to the Minister of Agriculture urging him to hurry on with the amending of the regulations. The secretary then read correspondence from the Minister on the subject. Correspondence on the subject was received, as indicated in another column, from the Director-General of Agriculture, from the Minister of Agriculture, the Prime Minister, the Hon. A. T. Ngata, and Mr. K. S. Williams, M.P. The chairman stated that after one of the letters had been received, he decided not to wait for this meeting, but instructed the secretary to write to Wellington again to further urge the matter and importance of the subject. Some time ago exception was taken at Opotiki to a statement made at Gisborne that- cattle tick was prevalent there. The chairman read an extract from a report of the Opotiki County Council at which the stock inspector reported that tick had been found there. The Council had decided to set up a committee to go into the question of erecting dips. Mr. Black: What wo want is that stock be stopped from coming over the Opotiki-Motu road. Mr. Russell suggested writing to the local stock inspector, and also to Opotiki.

Mr. Field considered that they should write to the fountain head. Mention was made of a mob of cattle which had a clean certificate from Opotiki, but which had later been suspected of being affected. Mr. Leggatt pointed out that after being clipped the cattle had passed through 15 miles of infected, country. Mr. Black suggested that the Minister of Agriculture be written to, prohibiting cattle coming to this district from Opotiki until the regulations have been gazetted, as there was every probability that other cattle were bringing infection.

The chairman said he would like to know why this mob was allowed to come through. Mr. Leggatt stated that the drovers, had a certificate from Opotiki.

The chairman said that one of the biggest sheep and cattle men in Gisborne had told him that the tick was here. Ho replied that he did not think it was so.

On the motion of the chairman it was decided that the local stock inspector be waited upon with reference to the enforcing of the regulations in force now, and to stop cattle at Opotiki. Mr. Field thought that it was a very serious position to find themselves in, and that they should go to the Minister regarding it. ' Mr. Russell: The local inspectors should stop the cattle. Mr. Field : But they are not doing it.

Mr. Field stated that ho supposed that inspection was a very difficult matter. He thought that no cattle should pass through until they had passed through dips to be erected at Opotiki. It was finally decided, on the motion of Mr. Black, that the secretary write to the Minister, the Director of Agriculture, and the stock inspector, drawing their attention to clause 2 of the old regulations and requesting that the inspector at Opotiki be told to enforce them; also that Mr. T. B. Spence, who is to visit Opotiki next week, be asked to interview the inspector there regard to that matter. —It was also decided that Mr. Russell and the secretary interview the local stock inspector on th-j subiect,

ft was decided to meet Mr W. Turner, an officer of the Y.M.C.A., who has just arrived from Manchester, to investigate the immigration problem. Air. Turner stated that ho was trying to obtain the real facts for intending immigrants. The chairman stated that some young folks had come out, but on arrival they had no one to look after them. Mr. Turner wanted to find out what class of men and women were wanted here. A great many became homesick and wished to go back after the first few months, but after a time they became satisfied.

Mr. Field stated that the secretary had done a good deal in the way of obtaining work for new-comers. The chairman referred in eulogistic terms to the secretary for doing this, but he thought this was work the Y.M.C.A. should take up. He advised Mr. Turner to get into touch with the Y.M.C.A. here. He wanted the Y.M.C.A. to take over their responsibility. Mr. Field thought that the Y.M.C.A. did do their bit,

The chairman asked if they 'were ready to receive immigrants, then would the latter's arrival bo notified. 'The speaker stated that he knew of cases in which immigrants who had been booked to come here had not arrived. Mr. Field thought that a fair proportion of the fanners of the district had come from Homo.

Mr. Leggatt thought that if the Union was going to encourage immigrants they should only bo associated with those* who intended going on the land and not bo mixed up with the trades.

Mr. Field thought they should (rive the matter (heir support. He had found that young men from Home turned out well.

Mr. Turner stated Mint, most of the immigrants were good. But there were some who were otherwise. He had come from Dunedin and worked his way up He thought that something could be done through the Y.M.C.A. for the reception of the immigrants.