WESTERN DISTRICT A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

Western Star, Issue 1353, 11 May 1889, Page 2

WESTERN DISTRICT A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

The Committee of the Western District A. and P. Association held a meeting at i'hornburj yesterday, the Vice-President, Mr 'A. Calder, in the chair, the other members present bemg Messrs J. Walker, Marris, Foster, Hudson, Mctlardy, A. Hall, and A. Jo.ted.

A coinmuuicatiun was read from the Grore Farmers' Club, askiog the Association to join in making representations to tue railway department -co adopt some, improved system"jin-ire-terenco, to weighing; ;gra,jlii.—Mr Walker 6aid that w ( he,u. he and Mr Hamilton had interviewed the Com. missioner. re the subject, they were informed that it was impracticable to depart from the present, system.- r.The District Traffic manager informed them that the trucks were weighed periodically. All he could say that when the Bluff weights,, as rendered to the c'armers, were received theyiw<pt e found nearly always to be 8 or' lOlbs per bag short, and this was? a very serious iteurto growers. j The; fHjs£w&] fwas, is it practicable for the Vailway department to weigh the trucks each time 1 He thought so, and was the only .satisfactory manner to ascertain the correct weight. At present the department only put the trucks on the weighbridge as a sort of check as to the tonnage they carried. He [i would move, That the railway department be requested to put a weighbridge at the JBluff, at which each truck could be

weighed, first full and then empty, so that the exact weight of ; the contents could be ascertained, and the weight of each truck be recorded • and further, that the Government make'any reasonable charge for such weighing. Several present expressed approval of the motion, which, on being seconded by Mr Harris, was carried unanimously. In connection with the question the Chairman, mentioned a case in which a Thornbury farmer weighed every bag of his grain before; sending it off, and was surprised Trchen the Bluff weights came to hand'to fincf tjiat it made his wheat one ton' short. He however, got the matter afterwards rectified. '"• '--■"■'' kiH >" r >- ■••'■^i

The application of Mr JL McNaughton to rent the show groundeat Is a week was refused.- ?.- & ; , j; The ttii-erton Football Club were the use of the ground co play matches on, on, condition that they replace the 'fence's removed ;iud make good any damage dehe! i: ' Accounts amonutiug to £l4 were passed for payment, and the President »ud Hon. Treasurer were appointed to arrange- with the bank to obtain a small advance to liquidate all outstanding liabilities. : I . I\/: / *~ v

Mr Walker brought forwarOne question of the small bird nuisance, ind said as the present act was a dead tetter, they should urge upon the G-o----venitnent the necessity of taking action. The County Council was, to a great extent, powerless in the matter, seeing that before they did anything they required to obtaiu a petition from two thirds of the ratepayers. He moved that the Government be requested to amend the act to make it compulsory tor farmers 10 destroy the small birds.—Mr Jones agreed that ib was a most serious question, and thought the small f-ird peat worse thau aver the rabbits were, but owing to the dighty nature of the Dirds, there was i difficulty in knowing to whom they oelonged.-Mr McHardy said it was a very, big question, and would move that the consideration of it be left for i future meeting. Both motion aud amendment, luving been secouded >vere put to the meeting, when the' motiou was declared carried.