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at Wintou, Gore, and Oamaru. After hearing his proposals, with which members expressed full concurrence, we passed the following resolution and sent it on to you : — '" That in order to meet the demand for experimental work and farms in the South Island the Board of Agriculture advises that the Department of Agriculture should extend the system adopted at Stratford, where a committee of farmers have rented a small farm which Is managed and financed by a local committee (one member of which is a Government officer), and which is subsidized by the Government to the extent of £300 per annum. This has been found to be most beneficial in many ways. It is economical, and is a demonstration in which great interest is taken in the locality, and works on the lines of ordinary farming of the best type." Appointment of Additional Agricultural Instructors for Department of Agriculture. When the desirability of having additional instructors appointed to the Department in connection with the work of agricultural instruction was before us it was decided that the policy of instructors should be extended, and therefore the instructional staff should be increased by two or three men with scientific training who possessed sound practical knowledge, to enable them to meet the farmer on his own ground and discuss agricultural problems with him. Consideration of Application of Josiah Howard Bequest. Dr. Reakes informed us that a measure entitled the Howard Estate Bill, dealing with the Josiah Howard bequest, had been introduced into Parliament, inter alia, setting apart the estate as a permanent endowment for agricultural education, to be held in trust by the Public Trustee, and giving the Government power to lease the property, the revenue derived therefrom to be credited to the Howard Estate Account, and moneys in the account to be expended on a school of agricultural education known as the Howard Agricultural Institute, or for the improvement and development of the Howard Estate. Dr. Reakes mentioned that everything connected with the management of the farm was by the Department of Agriculture, the Public Trust Department's officer in Napier being the medium through whom the instructions were issued. When proposals as to the Institute are made, the Board is to have an opportunity of going very fully into the subject with the officers of the Department and making recommendations in this important matter. Importation of Black Game. We had referred to us an application from the North Canterbury Acclimatization Society for permission to import some black game (the black cock and grey hen of Scotland) from some parts of the British Isles. After the matter had been discussed we decided to reply that introduction of the game was approved of by the Board. Meat-export Trade and Shipping Questions. We were requested by the Right Hon. the Prime Minister (as per subjoined copies of letters dated 3rd and 7th February, 1920) to take up the undermentioned matters, viz. :— (1.) The position created by the coming termination of the meat purchase by the Imperial Government as affecting producers and allied interests; (2.) The shipping question ; and (3.) The question of a producers' committee to visit (heat Britain in connection with the handling of New Zealand meat. " Dear Sir James, — " Prime Minister's Office, Wellington, 3rd February, 1920. " As you have no doubt seen in the Press, the Government has been officially advised that the Imperial Government's commandeer in respect of New Zealand meat and wool will terminate on the 30th June next. In these circumstances it will be necessary for representative producers and the Government to set about making arrangements as soon after this date as possible, so that operations will be able to be carried on without any unnecessary difficulty when the new season begins. I am strongly impressed with the advisability of convening a representative conference from producers and freezing companies in order that this important question may be fully considered, and I shall be glad if the Board of Agriculture will initiate matters having this object in view. Perhaps you will be so good as to bring the matter at an early date before the Board, and communicate to me your suggestions. " This leads me to another very important subject, in connection with which I invite the careful consideration of the Board. You will probably have noticed that a deputation of Wairarapa farmers waited upon me last week to discuss a number of matters, probably the most important of which being that of transportation, or, in other words, the question of securing sufficient supply of shipping-space at reasonable rates to carry their products to the markets of the world. The subject is one of great importance to the Dominion, and requires to be dealt with calmly and with full and careful consideration. I was somewhat disappointed with the report of my remarks in this connection as they appeared in the newspapers, and the condensed account of this portion of the interview did not, I am afraid, give a thoroughly correct impression of what was said. " In the course of my reply I pointed out that the first thing to be done was to get the cool stores cleared of the large quantities of Imperial meat waiting for ships to carry it to British markets, but while that was.being done arrangements should be made to take up the business at the stage where it was interrupted in March, 1915, by the arrangement then made between the British Government and the New Zealand Government for the sale of the Dominion's meat to the former, and that it seemed to me the first step was to see what could be done with the shipping