N.Z. FRIESIAN ASSN.

Waikato Times, Volume 96, Issue 15100, 22 November 1922, Page 6

N.Z. FRIESIAN ASSN.

MEETING IN HAMILTON

FORMING DISTRICT COMMITTEES.

POPULARISING THE BREED

The half-yearly meeting of the New Zealand Friesian Association was held at the Toorak Chambers last evening for the first occasion in the Waikato, ancl the first outside Palmerston North. The president of the Association (Mr \V. D. Hunt) occupied the chair. It was stated that there were 42 new members for election, which would be done tit the next meeting of •the council.

The president explained that an alteration had been made from the procedure of the past, when meetings were held at Palmerston, the annual the Winter Show, and the halfyearly at the Summer Show time. Now the headquarters had been shifted to Wellington, where there was a permanent secretary (Mr M. J. Thomson). It had been resolved that the meetings of members were to be removed from one part of the Dominion lo another so as to arouse increased interest in the breed. It had not been definitely decided, but Auckland was being considered as the place of the next annual meeting. This matter would be settled by the council shortly. In future the rules would he printed in the Herd Book, which he considered was essential towards giving members the opportunity of making themselves better acquainted with the regulations of the society than at present. In future the fee to the society would be 1| guineas, which would include a copy of the Herd Book, as against the £1 Is membership'hnd 12s 6d for the Herd Book in the-past. To those who wished to bring their knowledge up-to-date the Herd Books of the past were available at a reduced rate. The Association, wished to form district associations Tor the promotion of further interest in tile breed. This scheme had met with very marked success in most parts of New Zealand where associations had been estab J lished. If South Auckland district were divided into smaller areas it would prove more advantageous than the one large district. By the formation of these committees the members could discuss important matters affecting the breed. Incidentally, the speaker made complimentary reference to the exhibit sden at the Waikato Show, especially the class for yearling heifers. The referred to should be formed wherever there were sufficient members and the latter decided to form a district committee. These were only suggestions, which could, as well as any others, be submitted to the council for consideration. Before .a district committee could be formed the council must have assurance that there was no hole-and-corner business and that the various breeders in the proposed area had been communicated with and given every opportunity to discuss the matter. • Following the institution of the district committees, a central committee could be formed as the go-between between district committees and the council. The council had agreed to pay a £ for £ subsidy on the financial members, with a'maxi-' mum of 10s 6d per head. The speaker also advocated a deserved prominence to be given to the testing of stock, which was the only way of pushing the breed forward and utilising the best market price. This was the whole secret of success in regard to the breeding of Friesian or any other stock.

It was. hoped, Mr Hunt added, to have had a full meeting of the council but this was prevented owing to shipping troubles and other shows taking place at the same time as the Waikato ’ exhibition.

Mr Wattj president of the Sotltlf Auckland Association, extended a welcome to the president, secretary and members of the council present, and hoped to see them often in the Waikato.

Mr Hunt, in replying to the welcome, said that it was a pleasure to come to a progressive town like Hamilton, where so much interest and efiergy were displayed. Hamilton was growling very rapidly, being now close up to Palmerston North, and there was no doubt that it was destined to be the greatest inland town in New Zealand. (Applause.)

The secretary drew the attention of members to the regulations concerning transfers and Herd Book pedigrees, and pointed to the necessity for these being kept accurate and promptly attended to.

It was pointed out that no entries would be accepted for the / Herd Book 'unless the fees accompanied them, as failure in this respect had been the cause of many bad debt§ in. the past. Mr Hodgson, secretary to the South Auckland Association, . reiterated an opinion that the election to the council should be on the ward system, which 'would, he maintained, give better results than the method at present in vogue.

Unwieldy ! Areas. The president remarked that South Auckland appeared to have too wide an area to operate over. That was one of the reasons why he advocated the division into more workable areas. It was possible, he added, that the Vard system might be more effective for council' election, but meantime the members were well spread, with three in the South Island and nine in the North.

Mr Banks congratulated the secretary on the work he had done for the breed in the South Auckland district. The speaker, like others, considered that the area was too unwieldy, and they 'should arrive at a scheme whereby results could be achieved commensurate with the importance of the breed in the Auckland province and the prominence of the breed here as compared with the rest of the Dominion. Bay of Plenty, Thames, Thames Valley, Waikato, King Gountry, I lie area between Mercer and Auckland, and the North of Auckland, with Whangarei and Dargaville as the centres for the latter part, would in all probability be suitable areas. There ! should be a central body over all, and perhaps a meeting at Auckland and Hamilton during the year. The two latter and a meeting in each district should be attended by the council secretary during the year as a means (Lo the results that were wanted. Mr Knight (Ongarue) favoured the establishment of a committee to deal with the area from Te Kuiti to Tauniarunui. Mr Carter (Bay of Plenty) thought that the - membership of his district was too scattered as yet to work on ils own. The various points raised will come up for consideration at Ihc meeting of the council-. The meeting favoured three districts in its area, viz., one with headquarters at Morrinsvillo, another at Hamilton, and the third in a King Country centre. The Cost of Testing. In reference to a query raised by Mr Knight as to the high fees being charged for testing, the president said that the authorities were of the resolve that this work must stand on its own basis financially. He was of opinion that the Government should be prepared to assist towards the cost

of testing. This was a matter which should be brought directly to the notice of members of Parliament. Othet\ countries assisted materially. - It was pointed out recently to the speaker that the fee in Victoria was only ss, the Government meeting the additional cost.

Mr Knight held that the Government should recognise the wisdom of culling out the weeds in the country-’s cattle, so many of which were the laughing stock of breeders coming here from other countries. The Government should give material assistance in this matter, which was one of such importance to stock and to the country*