Young Farmers' Contest In Leadership

Chronicle (Levin), 12 March 1949, Page 7

Young Farmers' Contest In Leadership

Those who listened in l'ast night to the broadcast of the final of the Weltingtou Couneil's section of the Australasian leadership contest which was held in Palmerston North, were "soon convinced that the future care of the land in New Zealand was in safe hand-5. They heard seven contestants froui Young Farmers Clubs in the southem half of the North Lsland answering the questions of Mr Ivan Tabor, of Whakarongo, on farming conditions in their districts and the activities of their clubs. At the conelusion of the broadcast they heard Mr M. H. Oram, M.P. for Manawatu, announce the winner of the contest and eompJiment the entrants on the fluency with which they had answered the questions. As Mr Oram said, they had done' their districts credit. The winner of the contest was Mr (1. J. Evans, of Carterton, who was 19 years old and lived on a sheep and dairy farm. He had been a meinber of his local Young Farmers Club for the pasr (ive years and was now its treasurer. In debating he had led the Carterton team and had won the Falloon cup for the best short talk while he was a meinber of the Masterton Club. He had acted as an associate judge at the Wairarapa Show for grade dairy cattle. lle also supports the Scout movement. Next Friday, March 1S, he will take part in the Uoininion final, the winner of which will go to Sydney at Easter to compete in a similar leadership contest at the Royal Show. The winner will have ten days in Sydnev and his travelhng expeuses will be paid by the New Zealand Federation of Young Farmers Clubs. As well as Mr Oram, Mr C. Walker, assistant fields supenntendent of the Department of Agriculture, was a judge at last night's contest. Also present was r S. 1'reeman. Dominion organising j secretary of the Young Farmers Clubs. The iirst contestant to eome before • Ihe microphone was -Mr R. J. Lilburn, of Hunterville, who lives on a 5000 acre inll eountry sheep farm with a small 59 acre dairy farm atta-hed His cldb was the strongest in the Wanganui distriel. The Povertv Bay contestant was Mr J. 11. H.-Hegarty, of Gisborne, who was just sta'rting a sheep farming course at Massey College. lle lives 011 a 3500 acre 1 sheep and cattle station and in his local young- farmers club is a momber oi the debating and dramatic team. The third contestant was-Mr G. I. M. Hodgets, of Otaki, who is a meinber jf the Te Horo Young Farmers Club. Fie works on a 140 acre dairy farm which : carries dairy cows and chy gtock. When j asked if girls should Jie ' allov. ed in : Young Farmers Clubs 1 v Jtte said he i thought it was a good idea. In his (hs , trict there were a number/of land girls who wanted to join the -Young ianuer..Club. „ Mr/ E. Hodghtpn, "of /Bunnythorpe, was the fourtli contesf^nt." He lives on his father's farm running' mixed stock i — ■

with stud Romney and Southdown docks. For two years he has been his club 's secretary and for. one year on the executive committee. Mr B. D. Wright, of Rahotu, North Taranaki,- was the fifth contestant and came from a district which was well Oqifipped with public amenities. At the present time there was a movement ' af oot to establish a public library as a' | war memorial in the locality. He worked on a 300 acre dairy farm which was situated neaf the sea on liummoeky eountry with a soil that was .largely. made up of volcanic loam, There was' t no cropping on his farm. . *■ j Mr. R. J. Galloway, of Dannevirke,' I the Southern Hawke's Bay contestant" and a member of the Ruahine; Y.F.C.,( i said he was strongly in favour of exlcluding political discussions froio 'Young Farmers ; debates. Yoqng meuj of all classes came to them. Re lived j on a 157 acre farm which carried. •v>5 cows, 20 sheep for killing pu'rposes .and. 50 pigs. The dairy shed.'on his fanu was reputed to be one of the most.niodern in the district. The average." butt'erfat yieid was 3301bs. per cow and 2001bs. fat per acre. He was the sixt.h candidate in the contest. Mr. Evans, the winner, was the I seventh competitor before the. microphone.