AUCKLAND PROVINCIAL AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION.

Waikato Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 3496, 20 November 1894, Page 2

AUCKLAND PROVINCIAL AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION.

1b y telegraph, -own correspondent]. .-;':'." Auckland, Last Night. A meeting of delegates to, tlw Auckland Provincial Agricultural Association was held at ten this morning. Present: Messrs R. Fisher, J. Ganfi/R. Reynolds (Waikato Farmers' Club), Cliffo (Nnrth Kaipara Agricultural Association), Smith (Northern Wairoa), Meiklejohn (Matakana Farmers' Association), Hust (Port Albeit), Grub, (Port Albeit), Ball-u'tl (South' Franklin), Kirkbride, Canuth, James Wallace, J. Westney, Robeit Hall, J. Phillips, and May (Auckland). Smith (Otamatea), and Forest (Waikato). Mr M. M. Kirkbride presided...

The Executive C'ommitte was elected as follows:—Mes'sis J. May, J, Rutherford, :M. Mv Kirkbride, Philltpps, Kobt. Hall, C, T. Barriball, Reynolds, Gane, K. C'-ate--, Carruth, Jas. Wallace, and GardiiiT. Mr Kirkbride (chairman), addressed the meeting and expressed regret at.the absence of Mr John Fisher, who had met with an •accident. He also expressed pleasure at the help the Waikato people had given to make the Show a success by entering stock, butter, etc. He was pleased to .receive, as they had done, entries from all parts of the province He recognised that shows such as that held on Friday and Saturday last were of great importance as a splendid education d institution in connection with the agricultural and pastoral industries, yet he looked on conferences of farmers as of even givat>r impoi hnce. When these-meet-ings became established institutions he con> sidered they inu-t result in benefit to all concerned. Mr Kirkbride went, on and read some remarks dealing with the legislation affecting the agricultural and pastoral interests. In the course of his address he referred to tho proceedings of the last Agricultural Conference in Wellington. He touched on toe Noxious. Weeds Bill and said ho did not consider any hard and fast rule could be laid down on the question for all p,uts of the colony. To prevent farmers frcm selling :n»y b-iy Cintlining wends, etc, would .simnly ruin some sraail faruisrs. He mentioned weeds with regard to which the Conference had recommended legislation as durable. Ik referred to the Betterment Bill proposing a tax for public works on lands within 20 miles of any proposed raili way line, to which he was strongly opposed, He .siii. f ge>tid making, up a'balance sheet cacti year to show die actual financial resu't- reaped by the farmers compared with the other members of the community, in order - to show why the l;tnd : .owning farmers should thusbtispecially tixed, The proposal legislatiM! on the subject of tha dairying iirJuslry was aho touched

on by Mr Kirkbride. Referring to the Government Dairy Industry Bill, Mr Kirkbride criticised some of the provisions of the Bill, and said in conclusion : "I givo the promoters cf the Bill credit for being actuated by the best intention, having for their object the encouragement of the dairy industry; yet 1 cannot divest mvsslf of the idea that in this, as in the Noxious Weeds Bill, the Stock Act, and some other Acts we know of there is a tendency to legislate to interfere with that which might safely bo left in the haiuU of the people interested." In the course of the discussion which followed, several delegates 3poke on various phases of the chairman's remarks. Mr Phillips, on the question of noxious weeds, said that the gorse absorbed from the atmosphere a largs amount of nitrogenous matter which did good to the soil, and on very bad land would do a great deal of good, though muler certain circumstances no doubt should be prohibited. He went on to advocate placing the delegates to the Conference at Wellington on a mure satisfactory footing, so that their deliberations might'have more effect, and he suggested the payment of all expenses of delegates attending that conference. The Government Advances to Settlers Bill was referred to by. one delegate, but another objected to party politics being introduced into the conference. Mr Kirkbride said the Bill was a legitimate subject for discussion, as was every subject that affected the interests of farmers. The Chairman said all the expenses of the delegates to the New Zealand Agricultural Conference in future would have to be paid as a regulation to that effect had been passed at the last Conference.