NEW ZEALAND MEAT – PRODUCERS BOARD.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXV, Issue 1, 20 July 1922, Page 61

NEW ZEALAND MEAT - PRODUCERS BOARD.

SYSTEM FOR ELECTION OF PRODUCERS’ REPRESENTATIVES. Regulations under the Meat-export Control Act were issued last month governing the election of producers’ representatives on the Meat-producers Board, as follows : — 1. In these regulations the Board’’ means the New Zealand Meatproducers Board ; “ producers’ representatives ” means the persons to be elected pursuant to these regulations for appointment to the Board as representatives of the persons carrying on the business of the production of meat for export ; stock means sheep or cattle, and “stockowner” means a person owning not less than 100 sheep or 25 cattle, and includes a company or other corporation ; “ sheep-farmer ” means a person owning not less than 100 sheep, and includes a company or other corporation. 2. (1.) For the purposes of the election of producers’ representatives, a meeting of delegates (herein referred to as “ the Dominion Conference ”), elected as hereinafter provided, shall be held in the month of August, 1923, and in the same month in each year thereafter, on a day and at a place to be from time to time fixed by the Board. (2.) The Dominion Conference shall comprise 140 delegates, to be elected as follows, namely : («) Seventy delegates shall be elected by stockowners (including sheep - farmers) ; (&) seventy delegates shall be elected by sheep-farmers. 3. (1.) For the purpose of the election of delegates the Board shall divide New Zealand into such number of electoral districts as it thinks fit. (2.) Each electoral district shall consist of one or more counties.

4. (1.) The Board shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, for each electoral district a list of (a) stockowners within the electoral district, with the numbers of their sheep and cattle respectively in the district ; and (&) sheepfarmers within the electoral district. (2.) The lists shall be deposited for public inspection within the respective districts, and public notice thereof, and of the manner in which objections may be made, shall be given in such manner as the Board thinks sufficient. (3.) The name of any person shall not appear on the list of stockowners or sheep-farmers for more than one electoral district. Any person having qualifications for enrolment in more than one district may elect the district for which he will be enrolled.

5. (1.) The Board shall determine for each electoral district the number of delegates to be elected (a) by stockowners, and (6) by sheep-farmers. (2.) The number of delegates to be elected for any electoral district by stockowners shall, so far as practicable, bear to seventy the proportion that the number of stock in the district bears to the total number of stock in New Zealand. In computing the numbers of stock for the purposes of this regulation one head of cattle shall be deemed to be equal to four sheep. (3.) The number of delegates to be elected for any electoral district by sheep-farmers shall, so far as practicable, bear to seventy the proportion that the number of sheep-farmers within the district bears to the total number of sheep-farmers in New Zealand. 6. (1.) Meetings for the election of delegates to the Dominion Conference shall be held in each electoral district, on dates to be fixed by the Board, in the month of July, 1923, and in the same month in each year thereafter. (2.) At such meetings delegates shall be elected separately ■. by («) stockowners, and (&) sheep-farmers. (3,) The electors present at any such meeting shall appoint a Chairman, who shall control the election, which shall be by ballot or by show of hands, or otherwise as the meeting may determine. (4.) The Chairman shall forthwith after the conclusion of the meeting notify the Secretary of the Board of the name, address, and occupation of every delegate duly elected. (5.) If any question arises as to the validity of the election of any delegate, it shall be determined, by the Board, whose decision shall be final. The Board may in any case, if it thinks that the election of any delegates has been irregular, require a fresh election to be held.

7. (t.) The Dominion Conference shall meet in the month of August following the election of the delegates, on a day and at a place to be fixed by the Board. (2.) At that meeting the Chairman of the Board shall preside. If the Chairman is also an elected delegate, but not otherwise, he shall have a deliberative

vote on any question before the Conference. In the case of an equality of votes on any question he shall have a casting-vote, whether he is an elected delegate or not. (3.) The Chairman shall submit to the Conference for its consideration the report and|balance-sheet of the Board’s operations for the previous year. 8. The delegates assembled at the Dominion Conference shall proceed to elect the producers’ representatives in the manner hereinafter prescribed. 9. (1.) No person shall be eligible for. election as a producers’ representative unless he has been nominated by a delegate, and his nomination has been seconded by another delegate, and he has accepted nomination in writing. (2.) No delegate shall be entitled to nominate more persons for election: than the number, of producers’ representatives required. (3.) The form of nomination may be in the form of the Schedule hereto. 10. If no more persons are so nominated as producers’ representatives than are required to fill the vacant positions on the Board they shall be deemed to have been duly elected. ■ - 11. (1.) If more persons are so nominated than are required to fill the vacant positions on the Board, the delegates shall elect from their number (by ballot, if necessary) twenty persons as an Election Committee. No candidate for election as a producers’ representative shall be eligible as a member of the Election Committee ,(2.) At such ballot no voting-paper shall be valid unless votes are recorded for the full number of persons required to be elected. 12. (1.) The members of the Election Committee shall meet on the day of their election, or as soon thereafter as conveniently may be, and shall elect by ballot from among the persons duly nominated and eligible the number of producers’ representatives required. (2.) At such ballot no voting-paper shall be valid unless votes are recorded for the full number of persons required to be elected. (3.) At the meeting of the Election Committee the Chairman of the Board, or a deputy appointed by him in writing, shall preside, but shall not be entitled to vote unless he has been duly elected a member of the Election Committee. 13. None of the proceedings at any meeting of delegates or at any meeting of the Election Committee shall be invalidated by reason merely of any irregularity in the election or proceedings of delegates or of the Election Committee. 14. The Secretary to the Board shall be the Returning Officer for the purposes of any ballot conducted for the purposes of . these regulations by the delegates or by the Election Committee. - .. 15. (1.) If at any ballot under these regulations two or more candidates have received the same number of votes, then, if it is necessary for the purposes of the election to determine their order of preference, and so often thereafter as it may be necessary to determine the order of preference of any candidates, a further ballot shall be taken of those candidates only : Provided that if . no order of preference is indicated with respect to any candidates in two successive ballots the Chairman shall determine the order of preference by lot. (2.) Subject to the foregoing provisions, at any election under these regulations the number of candidates required to be elected who have received the greatest number of votes shall be declared elected. , 16. The names of the persons who have been selected pursuant to ' these regulations as producers’ representatives shall be forthwith forwarded to the Minister of Agriculture, and shall by him be submitted to the Governor-General for appointment, . - : ,■ ’ . . Schedule : Nomination of Producers’ ■ Representative. Candidate [Name in full,- address, and occupation}. Nominated by [Name, address, and occupation}. ■ Seconded by [Name, address, and occupation}. ■ . Nomination accepted. Signature of candidate.}

Importation of Fruit and Plants. — Amendments to regulations under the Orchard and Garden Diseases Act have been recently gazetted providing that imported fruit or plants found to be infected with grey scab of lemon [Sporodesmium griseum) or with onion-rust (Urocystis Cepulae Frost) must be either reshipped out of New Zealand or destroyed. Treatment by dipping was formerly sufficient in the case of plants, &c., affected with grey scab of lemon.