FARMERS’ INTERESTS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 255, 22 July 1921, Page 8

FARMERS’ INTERESTS

COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURE YESTERDAY’S BUSINESS The annual conference of the Council of Agriculture was concluded yesterday. The president (Mr. G. L. Marshall) was in the chair. The following members were elected to the executive for the ensuing year:— North Island, Messrs. AV. Perry, O. J. Haw-ken, M.P., and E. D. M’Lennan; South Island, Messrs. J. D. Hall, AV. D. Hunt, and B. H. Tripp. Mr. L. J. Wild, formerly chemist at Lincoln Agricultural College, and. at present a member of the staff of the Christchurch Training College, delivered an address on “Soil Survey.” Mr. "Wild urged that the conference should insist on a national soil survey. Soil surveys, he explained, were a stock-taking of the material from which the farmers obtained their agricultural produce. They had been neglected in New Zealand, though they were of the utmost importance to the farmer. They provided, among other things, an interpretation of the results of experiments conducted in particular parts of the country. He knew of a farmer who had assumed—quite wrongly, of course —that results obtained with basic slag on a particular type of land in the north would be reproduced by the use of basic slag on his own land ixx the south. That sort of mistake might have been avoided. The conference resolved: "That it is essential in the interests of farm production that a soil survey division should be established.” ■ Sir Walter Buchanan said with regard io regulations gazetted under the Animals’ Protection Act (passed last session to effect certain changes in the protection of opossums) that they were full of traps for the farmers. Ho moved that the attention of the Government be called to this, with a view to an amendment. The motion was carried.

The following remits were carried: — “That the Agricultural Department exports be requested to advise specially on 'the best use of Nauru and. Ocean Island phosphates in regarxl to ground rock or superphosphates.” “That the Government be asked to amend the Inspection of Machinery Act, so ns to abolish annual inspections of all oil engines, with the exception of the first inspection/* “That tho adoption of the system of single judging be recommended to affiliated societies.”

“That the Government be again urged upon to supply clean wagons for the conveyance of all stud stock.” "That the Railway Department be urged to make such arrangements for stock that is being conveyed by rail to the various shows in the Dominion as will enable the stock to arrive nt their final destination on the railway so as to permit of their being delivered at the show grounds in daylight.” “That in view- of the heavy financial loss sustained by the farming commixnitv. the Government be urged to revert to pre-war rates of freight on stock travelling to and from agricultural shows; further, that the man in charge of each consignment of stock be granted a return fare at excursion rates.” “That representation be again made to the Railway Department that exhibitors taking stock to shows be alloxved to take free, sufficient fodder to last for tho return journey, particularly if, as very often happens, the whole truck is paid for and not filled.”

“That owing to the shortage and high prices of timber, the Government be urged to remove the import duty on all timber, and that the railway freight on imported timber be brought into line i with New Zealand tfmlier rates."

"That as the labour on the waterfront throughout New Zealand is most unsatisfactory, and vitally affects the welfare of this country, the Minister of Labour be asked to convene a conference of all harbour boards, with a view to the adoption of some system of permanent labour on the wharves. That the harbour boards of the Dominion should have an executive in Wellington to regulate the shipping as much as possible at each port.” "That it be a recommendation to the executive to go fully into the matter of organising the various bodies representing the farming industries, and that such committee have power to add to its number, and. if necessary, to employ legal assistance."

"That the executive be requested to draw up a report as to the desirability of forming a governing body with power to enforce the resolutions of the annual conferences in regard to A. and P. matters."

“That seeing large towns have the benefit of cheap telephone communication after eight o’clock at night, and farmers in country districts who do all their stock business with their nearest town have no cheap hours, tho Government should be asked to give two hours’ cheap rote during the day between country bureaus and their nearest centre.” "That the Government be urged to take all possible steps to stamp out cattle tick from the Dominion, and that legislation be passed prohibiting the transfer of stock from infected areas to other districts.”