NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2215, 30 July 1914, Page 10

NEWS AND NOTES.

A. & P. SOCIETIES ANNUAL CONGRESS FINAL RESOLUTIONS The annual conference of the A. aud P. Societies of New Zealand .was concluded yesterday. , Mr. J. C. N. Gri"< presided.. ,

. :The Executive Committee for the year Has elccted as follows Messrs. ,T. Conway,.Q,.Hunter, H.'Morrison, H. f. Booth, K. Campbell, S. W. Luxford uNorth ■islanpl), H. V. Fulton, James .Smith, J. Carmichael, W. I''. Parkinson .1 1). .HalCland J. Studholme (South island),.,.; „' (1 . Messis J C. N. Grigg, A. Matthews. E; ■ Slioi tt,- \V. Perry, and H. A. Knight weio elected-a committee to inter.v Tew shipping and insurance companies re3l??cting .tho„ suggestion: that arrangements should, be made for a steamer to ? "W 1 'Occasionally'. through the Straits of Magellan: -

Tlie'. resolutions 'passed included'tlia lollowiiig Nbxious >Weeds.—"Tliat it is desirable toi set up a, Government. Commission-, comprised of'landowners, Departmental oliicers, and..scientists, to inquire .into ■the area aud locality ,of lands, affected with, weeds, , noxious or otherwise. Tlio amount of damage that done, and the methods by which tho weeds might ue. dealt with could also 'be inquired I into" ; and "That the Board of Agricul-

lure should be asked, to devise mora satisfactory, methods ol dealing' with noxious weeds." Stock Foods.—"That the should be urged to make it compulsory! that art .analysis shall be givon with,all stock- foods; and condiments, .as is <]bne ill the case of manures, and, also state ■ the s6uico from which the ingredients are derived. 1 ' ■ ' Grain Tariff.—"That it should be a | recommendation of this conference-' to the. . Government that negotiations should, be entered into with the Commonwealth of Australia, with a view, to having the duties 011 all grain products iu- Australia reduced to the same level as thoso charged by New Zealand." , . Sheep Statistics.—"That' tho- colleo tion of. sheep statistics should be. taken on February 1, on the basis of shearr 111K aud lamb-marking counts." .... Purebred Stock—"That all A. and P. Associations should be asked to insist that all .entries' in purebred sections at ußricultural shows be entered, or eligible for entry in a recognised stud book of their breed." ,

. Railing Stock. —"That better facilities should bo provided by the Railway Department for the transit of stock to and from shows','; "That all exhibits consigned to a show should without any .certificates be carried at quarter rates, and that all such exhibits 'or.; part thereof, if returned to original 'sending'station within .a 'stated time, be also charged quarter ratej and. .where possible, special trains should be i Stock.—-"That the Government should be asked to exhibit , the stock rom the' experimental State farms at

tlie agricultural and pastoral shows." Power to Borrow.—"That the ' Government should berequested to -bring ii( a Bill empowering agricultural ano pastoral associations to borrow money, with ; provision for a sinking fiiutl, on similar conditions, to local bodies." ■. Enforcement of Ruling's.—"That this .conference should bring before the next Agricultural Conference' the desirability of giving a ccntral body power to enforce the ruling of the' conference by disqualification or other ineans."

. Remission of Rates.—"That this council should again approach the iiqvernment with' a request to make the remission of rates.of .A. and P. Show .Grounds statutory." ■Timber 'tFreight.—"That tho >' system of charging extra railway freight on imported timber should' be discontinued."

- Extraordinary Business.—The Clevedon remit, 'IThat a new' rule should be adopted.- that' the executive be empowered, to call the council together in th'e : event of any extraordinary, business, arising,". was.referred to the; executive to deal 'with.

The following remits were referred to' the deputation, which is to wait on 'tho. General Manager of Railways(l) "That the: Railway Department should be asked to'simplify the certificates for show-stock" • (2) ''That stationmasters forwarding . show stock should be empowered to-'supply attendant with written .authority, to sign for stock return-, IU S" i (3)""'J hat the existing provisions regarding the. : -condition in public yards .aiid.-railway-truclts, so. far as'prevention of foot rot is coiiccrned appear to he defective^and that the attention-of the" Agricultural ' Department should 'he drawn, defects." .

Judges.—l he matter of revising the iudges lisTwas loft to the executive.

STOddlN QUARANTINE. REDUCTION IN CHARGES AND PBIUODS OF DETENTION.

' . Mr; -E.'- Sliortt (JTeilding) reported! to tlio A.' and I'. Societies' Conference yesterday .that a. 'committee from .tliQ conference " had conferred with -Dr. Keakes, of the Department of Agriculture, respecting the quflrantine 'regulations and charges, and had the-following' report.to make:—'"We havo gone carefully into these new regulations with Dr. Keakes, and iiaye to report that we.consider them a great improvement .011 those at. present ;u force; aiid in concessions;'in the, matter of expenses, satisfactory, so far as they go. \Yc would suggest that a further concession might bojmado in tho direction of imported stock, after being'released from quarantine, being carried free by rail to the owner's farm."

Di I?cakes then, stated what tho alteration's were. Ho' said that thochangcs 111 periods of qnaiantino were: Horses from Canada and United States, 28 days instead of 14; , cattlo from Canada, 60. days, instead of total prohibition;/cattle from New South Wales, Victoria, or South Australia, 90, days instead: of'4o, with a proviso that tiio last 50 days will be spent on the owner's place under tho supervision of an officer of,tho Agricultural Department; sheep from Great Britain, 28 days instead of 40 days; pigs from Groat Britain, 14 (lavs instead of (i 0 days; dog 3 from Great Britain, 60 days instead of 6 months.

The alterations in the charges were stated to bo: Transport charges to and from'quarantine, unaltered ; snstinanco charges (per head) : Horses, i unaltered (Is. per night) • cattle, now Is. instead of Is. 6d. per night l ; pigs, under two months old, 110 charge,.i.instoad of 3d. per night; sheep (1 to 10), 3d. per nipht instead ot bd.; sheep, exceeding 30, 2d. per. night- instead-of 4d.; clogs, 4d. per night instead of Gtl.,

Dr.. Rcakos said that- the new scale of charges for the examination of animals to be exported to New Zealand was, for all classes of fitock; Any number up to six, £1 Is ; over six and 1111 to twelve, £1 10s. Gel; over twelve, £1 '2s. '