POULTRY INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 144, 13 March 1919, Page 6

POULTRY INDUSTRY

« OPENING OF CONFERENCE By Telegraph—Press Asoooiatioa. Christcliurch, March 12. At the opening of the New Zealand Poultry Association Conference to-day the Countess of Liverpool said that when she came to Neiv Zealand she could not help being impressed at the quantity of work, indoor and outdoor, done by women here compared with women in the Old Country. Since the war, however, things had greatly changed in the Old Country, and women there now were doing wonderful work. In New Zealand women in the country districts also were working on the land in an imobtrusivo way. They worked without the glamour of limelight that surrounded the women workers at Home. Returning soldiers were relieving them of some of the work, hut they still gave attention to outdoor life, and that should be of particular advantage to the poultry industry. She believed that poultry keeping and fruit growing could be profitably combined She had . not had time to study poultry keeping in New Zealand, but she kept-a few birds and she had found them a. source cf great interest and ' a valuable asset as well. She always had felt that New Zealand was wonderfully .well endowored with many natural advantages for poultry people. She had great pleasure in attending the conference, and' hoped that in every way it would be beneficial to tho industry. Mr. L. M. Isitt, M.P., said that those engaged in poultry' iaising had had a hard time, recently ■on account of the high price of feed and the importation, of an abomination knewn as tho Asiatic egg. He was astonished that the Government did not stop the importation of that Chinese conglomeration. He suggested that the association should publish the names of all pastrycooks and confectioners who did not use the stuff. Those who took that step would be likely to receive better support from the public, which was more particular than it was formerly as to what it consumed. Mr. J. B. Mcrrett (secretary), in reply ta remarks as to Asiatic eggs, said the Board of Trade had ruled against tho poultrymen on the point of stopping the importations. The members of Parliament s.hould have protested against the Asiatic-eggs wlien the Board of Tirade's report came before Parliament. The board had said that it was absolutely necessary to countennnce the importations because there was a shortage of local' supplies. The fact was that tho poultrymen of Now Zealand could produce all that was required in the Dominion. They should be encouraged, especially as returned soldiers were entering the industry. The annual report stated that the future held out great promise, and the past year's work had been so encouraging and of such great benefit to the industry' that the association would receive ample support. It was nine yeaTS since the association held its first conference, and the .constitution adopted at that first conference was in existence'today. The growth since had 'been gradual, and to-day _ the ■ association represented sixty societies, having a total of nearly 10,000 members. The chief accession dur. ing the year had been the affiliating l of the. North and South Island Poultry Associations. These, with their various clubs, had nearly doubled the association's representation. In the course of discussion on the Te. port, Mr. A. S. Holms (Auckland) said that importations represented a half per cent, of the. total production of eggs in New Zealand. If poultrymen, therefore, increased their oroduction • by half per cent, one argument in favour of imported eggs would disappear. New Zealand could produce all that was required at a fair price. The Board of Trade apparently intended to sit down and do no- j thing. The Auckland societies were in- > chned to punch hard against the indus- I try's enemies, but wished to do it fairly. I