PROBLEMS OF FARMERS

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1932, Page 10

PROBLEMS OF FARMERS

BEEF AND VEAL INDUSTRY.

DISCUSSION AT AUROA.

There was a very large attendance of farmers at the hall on Friday evening to hear addresses by Messrs.' Ray Thomas, C. D. Dickie, Ik K. Cameron and Denize. Mr. A. W. King presided and introduced each speaker., Mr. Thomas dwelt on the importance of herd testing and stressed the value of marked calves? Mr. E. K. Cameron paid tribute to the energy and enterprise of the Auroa branch and /said that all schemes evolved for the good of the farmers were assisted by the union. Among these schemes were included those of the bobby calf industry and the small farm scheme.

Mr. Dickie stated that the bobby calf industry, like all others, had become depressed very largely on account, of contraction in world trade. The first market was on the Continent of Europe, but that was now closed to New 1 Zealand and taken by Brazil and other countries. The high cost of production and high wages were the greatest handicap, he said.. They were out of all proportion. The farmers now secured only 15 per cent, of the value of the industry, while 85 per cent, was , spent in cost of production. Transit costs were also doubled. Pork was selling in London for 4d and 4Jd per lb., so that boneless veal was in competition with it. There was every prospect of calfskins and hides rising in value soon. The greater part of Taranaki’s old cows used to be sent to Italy, but the Brazilians stepped in and Italy gave them preferential tariff. New Zealand was now shut out from the Belgian and French markets. France now secured its beef from Madagascar.

Mr. Denize congratulated Auroa on its large gathering, and then explained the 1 , small farm scheme.-

Each speaker was thanked by acclairiation for liis address, aiid>a vote of thanks was accorded the chairman. The ladies provided supper, which Mesdames King and Lyndon supervised. PERSONAL ITEMS; The funeral of Mr. Samuel Wall took place at Hawera on Saturday. The service at the. graveside was conducted by the Rev. H. W. James. The wreaths included floral tributes from florists of the district and from members of the Hawera Astronomical Society with which he had been closely connected. Condolence'with the relatives of the late Alessrs. Rua Moetahuna and W, L. F. Chambers was expressed at the annual meeting of the Opunake Racing Club on Saturday. . Sympathy with Mr.. H, Thrush, Nolantown, Hawera, because of the death of his daughter was expressed at Saturday’s meeting of the Egmont A. and P. Association’s general committee. Air. AV. B. Martin has been appointed first assistant at Okaiawa main, factory. 'Mr. and Airs, and Master Martin left last Monday to live at Okaiawa. Air. Stan. Wilks is- now first assistant at Auroa. - '■ ■ ' ' ■ 1 ) ’ ■ GENERAL ITEMS. Advice from the Southdown Sheep Society of New Zealand was received by the committee of the Egmont A. and P. Association qt 'Hawera on Saturday to the effect that the gold medal for the best two-tooth Southdown ram from a flock registered with the- society had been allotted to the next Hawera show. The medal is for the open class and not the natural condition class. A 20-guinea trophy to be won outright by the best dairy cow of any breed or type at the next Egmont A. and P. show has been donated by Messrs, Henry A. Lane and Co., Tooley Street, London.

There have been 21 bankruptcies in South Taranaki so far this year. There were two in July and four in August. Twenty births, five deaths and seven marriages were registered at Hawera last month. In July, 1931, there were 24 births, 8 deaths and 6 marriages. South Taranaki basketball matches on Saturday resulted: Convent beat Otakello 12—11; Okaiawa A beat Hawera Old Girls Red 11—0, Hawera Old Girls Blue beat Okaiawa B 16- —4.

Though the attendance was rather smaller than expected the Hawera Pipe Band’s dance on Friday was most successful, a feature being the way all present took part in the old dances as well as the modern ones. Mr. J. Nairn was master of ceremonies. Aiusic was by Attrill’s orchestra, and extras were played by Alesdames T. Muir and A. L. Campbell. Piper lan Campbell played the pipes for the Scottish dances. Mrs. J. W. Velvin and Airs. J. R. Nairn arranged the hall and supper room decorations, and Airs. J .B. Laurenson was in charge of the supper, with the co-opera-tion of Alesdames C. Bowman, A. Smith, Nairn, Velvin and H. W. Dowden. The supper room tables carried vases of early jonquils and lycopodium and bright-coloured marigolds. When the licensee (Air. L. Thompson) opened the bar room of the Commercial Hotel, Alanaia, on Saturday morning ne found that the till had been ransacked and Friday’s takings, amounting to approximately £9, stolen. The bar was closed at the usual hour last evening, but instead of placing the money in the safe Air. Thompson allowed it to remain in the till. Airs. Thompson was awakened shortly after ■> o clock this morning by a slight noise, but attached, no significance to the disturbance until rising for breakfast, when she was acquainted of the burglary. ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT. The Taranaki branch of the Pig Breeders’ Association will hold a field day on Wednesday, August 3, at Air. Joe Tomlinson’s farm, South Road, Hawera. Particulars are advertised in this issue. WHAKAMARA NEWS. A “house-warming” was tendered Mr. and Airs. A. Harvey by the residents of Whakamara on Tuesday night. After being “tin-canned,” the couple were the hall, where a social and dance took place. The following items were interspersed with games and dances: Recitations by Mrs. J. Gulliver and Mr. I. E. Christie, songs by Miss Ella Rogers and Air. W. Davies, and the “Whakamara Song” by the Melody Four. Speeches, musical honours and cupper completed a pleasant evening. Airs. L. E. Christie is convalescing after her illness and is now able to drive her ear. Airs. Alilham is spending a holiday at Palmerston North.