BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2174, 12 June 1914, Page 8

BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

FIRST MEETING. PREPARATION FOR FUTURE WORK. The first meeting of the newly-created ifoartt of Agriculture was held'at Parliament Buildings yesterday. The Prime Aiinistcr (Hon. W F Massey) presided at tho gathering , , and all the members of tho board were pre-sent-Messrs. J. G. Wilson (president), WiiVt i^ ngg Edwin Hall (Auckland), appomted by the Government; II Reynolds (Auckland), E. Averill Wawko's Bay), R, Dingle (TaraA.. P. \ P °\s c ,so "). Buckley (Christchurch), AS. Orbell (Otago), and W. D. Hunt (Southland), representing A. and P. Associations. Tho Press were not admitted to the proceedings, and tho particulars availab'° aro given out officially. lhe "order of reference" framed for the board includos tho subjects of noxious .weeds, rural education, and the training of young farmers; reading, ( camago of produce, tho offering of better tenure to encourage the growth of p6rmanent pasture in southern runs', tho shortage of farm labour, and the conae- . quent falling off in the crops of cereals, the moat trust, and tho importation bi StOCk/ ■ • •■.'■• •■.'...- .•■.:... ~-.-■ Tho Primo Jlinister, addressing the ' meotijig, .said that it was the duty of tho Government to tee that every encouragement was .given to the settler to produco tho largest quantity of exports possible, apd he felt sure that the board would assist him in that object-to the Utmost extent of its power. Ho also' , expressed the hope, that the board would givo-him all the assistance possible in tho fruit industry. Air., Massey atldeoV that it was very necessary info the question of a cheap supplyof phosphates, ns they were absolutely necessary for' the purposes of producing. crops..-'. ..,•,:. . The board passed ;thb following resoi"tion^maftjlQ_. board ..at its first meeting desires to place on record tho great, loss -sustained- by the agricultural and pastoral. , farmers of New Zealand by the sudden death of Mr. D. D. Mactarlane.. lhe board' was looking forward to the great assistanco that Mr. Macfarlanei would have, been ableto : jrive irom his wido knowledgOj- his ripe' experience, aud.his great <lesiro toiurther tho ;interests of the farming comniuri-' a? - ' |, he r bo « r (l desires to ; express■ to iUls. iVlaefarlane and family tiieir sincere sympathy in .their great':: loss." in the',afternoon the board-considered details of its Juturo work. : ' As tho members are likely to be m •Wellington at thotimoof tho-A. and P I P n li ere T e, , ni -' ?, il i> ' l nnother meeting or the board wilt beheld after'that gathering, takes place.-. ' A jcomuiittee. was iappointed : U confer Board of Governors' of Lincoln College for; the purpose of kriccrtnimng if the two bodies can work together in the interests of rural eduv cation. .'....'.

,- lavas' decided'that at its nest meeting the board should "go'.particularly into tno question or the organisation cf the' Department of. Agriculture, and confer with the heads of the various branches ot that Department. Further, the question of forestry will bo discussed with Mr. James Jl'kenzie, 'vrhd'js in charge of that work _ and the question of rural education will be gone into with Jir G Hogben, Inspector-General of Schools ' Before its next meeting tlie board hopes to pay a visit of inspection to the various State experiment farms so that-these institutions may be discussed. '■' ■ ■' '- '~ The board will meet again to-day.'