H.—34a.

(c) Research. To assist financially and to stimulate research in urgent problems connected with wool, sheep parasites and diseases, sterility and other relevant matters. (d) Preparation of the Clip for Sale. To collect and circulate facts and figures on the economic advantages of classing, binning, &c., and to provide the farmer with data which will help him to decide the most profitable methods to adopt. (e) Freights on Wool by Land or Sea. To investigate from time to time the freights on wool with the object of determining whether any reduction may reasonably be obtained. (/) Dissemination of Information. To arrange for the collection, publication, and distribution to sheep-farmers of the results of research both in New Zealand and abroad, and of any information of especial value to the industry. This might take the form of a half-yearly booklet and include the Proceedings of the Meeting of Sheep Breeders held annually at Massey College. There is no one periodical which reaches more than a fraction of the sheep-farmers, and this represents a serious lack of contact with the various sources of information which should be remedied as soon as possible. (g) Contact with other Bodies. To keep in close contact with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Breed Societies, other farmers' organizations, and any other bodies in New Zealand or abroad engaged on work of interest to or affecting the sheep and wool industry. Arising from this meeting and the committee's deliberations, further meetings were held in Wellington and various parts of the North Island, and the proposals have on the whole been favourably received, and the Government has been asked to promote legislation along the following lines : — (a) For the establishment for the North Island of New Zealand of an administrative organization, representative of sheepowners, to be known as the New Zealand Sheep and Wool Improvement Council, or by some similar appropriate name : (b) For the extension of the scheme to the South Island, or to any specific areas in the South Island, after a favourable ballot taken of the sheepowners in the areas concerned. (c) The Council to be a body corporate, with power to hold money and other property and having other incidental powers : (d) The Council to have power to expend its moneys in schemes for the improvement of the standard of flocks in the North Island and (in the event of the South Island or any defined portion of the South Island being brought within the scope of the Act) for the improvement of flocks within the South Island or such defined portion, as the case may be. For this purpose, the Council to have power to co-operate with other bodies having similar or cognate objects : (e) The funds of the Council to be provided by means of a levy on all wool produced in the North Island or in any area in the South Island in which the Act is operative, and sold in New Zealand or exported from New Zealand. The amount of the levy to be fixed by the Governor-General in Council, at a rate not exceeding 3d. a bale, except that the rate may be increased if a proposal to increase it beyond 3d. is carried by a two-thirds majority at a referendum of affected sheepowners taken for the purpose. (/) The moneys of the Council to be held in its own bank account, to be operated on in accordance with its own rules, and not to form part of the revenues of the Government. The accounts of the Council to be audited by the Audit Office. (g) Incidental provisions to make the above scheme operative. This statement has been prepared, therefore, to bring the matter before the notice of the House since the question is one of considerable national importance, and it appears essential that some action should be taken to improve the present outlook of our wool industry through the adoption of a long range policy tending towards greater stability in the future.

Approximate Cohl of Paper.—Preparation, not given : printing (780 copies), £16 10s.

Price Gel.]

G, H. Loney, Government Printer, Wellington.—ls33,

16