COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12771, 15 October 1919, Page 8

COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURE.

ANNUAL MEETING.

[Pku Press Association, j WELLINGTON, October Id. The annual conference of the New Zealand Council of Agriculture was opened to-day. Mr George Humer, M.P., was elected president. The Minister of Agriculture, the Hon ”, Nosworthy, attended by invitation and apologised for the absence of the Prime Minister. He emphasised the necessity for making up for the loss of the war bv increased rural efiiciencv. The officials of the Department of Agriculture would, he promised, do all they could to assist in that direction. There was a shortage at present, but this was being remedied, and the prospect before agriculture, if they ail pulled together, was bright. On the motion of Air Hodder (Manawatu) it was decided that the Minister of Railways should be urged again to reinstate all the privileges granted to agricultural and pastoral associations on the railways, which were withdrawn during the war. Mr Penny (Manawatu) moved, and it was agreed to, that the Government should be again strongly urged to make mandatory the clauses in the Rating Act which give power to local bodies to exempt agricultural show grounds from local bodies’ taxation.

Mr W T . D. Hunt (Wellington), on behalf of the executive, proposed that the time had arrived when agricultural and pastoral associations should take into consideration what are the best means to adopt to improve the work of the societies and add to their usefulness as a moans of advancing knowledge in the practice of agriculture and the breeding of live stock, and that it be an instruction to the incoming executive to submit concrete proposals to the societies prior to the next annual conference.

It was resolved to embody a further remit from Canterbury and Otago, that the Government be asked to subsidise metropolitan shows iu New Zealand.

, The conference also resolved, on the motion of Air D. R Hamilton (Franklin) that agricultural and pastoral societies should be allowed to borrow money from the Advances to Settlers' Office, for purchasing and equipping show grounds.