PROGRESSIVE PALMERSTON NORTH.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 955, 30 July 1903, Page 4

PROGRESSIVE PALMERSTON NORTH.

IMPORTANT CONFERENCE. A COMPETITION. '(Per Press Palmerston North, last night. At a meeting of the Colonial Executive of the Farmers’ Union, Mr A. J. McCurdy was appointed colonial organiser. In a debate on the freehold question the speakers declared they were opposed to the building up of large estates. An unanimous resolution was passed in favor of obtaining the freehold in areas, as limited by existing Acts. At the National Dairy Association meeting one hundred dairy farmers aDd others were present. Mr Harkness, who has been president for four years, was appointed secretary in succession to Mr Beattie. In the course of his speech Mr Harkness said some people were industriously declaring a slump was coming in butter and cheese. There was no authority for such a statement. .On the other hand the time was coming when the output would be doubled, and if the farmers kept up a high standard there was no fear of a reduction in price. The conference reaffirmed a motion passed at Stratford objecting to the Agricultural Department’s proposal in reference to branding butter for export. The Butter and Choesemakers’ Association met last evening, and decided unanimously that the vacant Dairy Commissionorsbip should be filled by a member of the present dairying service in preference to importing a man from outside, also that the Government be approached with a view to establishing an experimental station for butter competitions. The Rangiwahia Go-operative Dairy Company won the principal prize for factory butter from 22 factories, Canterbury seoond, Kakaramea third, and the most successful exhibitors in cheose were J. Skerman, of Palmerston, who carried off most of the prizes; the Ngaire Co-operative Dairy Company, and the Lowgarth Dairy Company. There was a very fine exhibition of poultry. The plucking competition was won by S. W. Robinson, killing, plucking, and dressing two birds in lOmin 22sec. The district exhibits of produce by school children are a feature of the show.

Wet weather still waits upon the winter show, but at midday the sun shone through a heavy sky and brightened the prospects for the football and hockey tournaments, to be held this afternoon on the show grounds in connection with the show. Visitors are arriving from all parts of the district, and there was another large attendance at the show this morning. English and Australian visitors deolare that the exhibition of moving machines and dairy appliances has been unsurpassed even at American and London dairying shows. Palmerston’s winter show is an assured experimental success, and next •year a considerable improvement will be made, more space being allowed for the display of machinery in motion.