FARMERS’ UNION

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2102, 10 June 1907, Page 4

FARMERS’ UNION

The Gisborne branch ol' the N.Z. Farmers’ Union mot at the club rooms .in Saturday. Mr. AV. D. Lysnixr (.President) occupied the chair. STOCK TRACK. Tho District) Road Engineer (Mr. A. 11. \ r ickorman) wrote in connection with flic Gisborne to Rotorua stock track. Ho thanked tho branch for its letter giving rnsons favoring the completion of tho AVaikaromoana road in preference to tho track via Mnungapolnitu. Ho was ploasod to say that ho was himself in favor of the AA'aikaremoana road boing completed first. Accordingly ho had sont a copy of tho letter to tho Chief Engineer of Roads, Wellington, for consideration. The Chairman: That' is satisfactory, at all ovonts.—Letter received. ItAGAVORT ERADICATION. Tho Inspector notified receipt ol the resolution regarding tho existence to some oxtent of ragwort on tho fiats. Ho replied that tho noxious weeds question had received eloso attention by tho officers of the Department this season, including ragwort, and no efforts would bo spared to keep the latter in cheek. It was however a very tenacious weed and soon showed up again after cutting, especially if the laud was not closely fed down with sheep.—Received. PROPOSED SHEEP DIP. Tho Inspector in charge of the Poverty Bay districts (Mr. AA r . Miller) acknowledged a resolution with reference to the erection of a dip at the Matawhero saloyards. If tho object, ho remarked, was to establish a dip as a central depot for the convenience of farmers in tho district, it would meet- with his support. But if only intended for the purpose of putting through infected and condemned sheep found in tho saloyards, ho did not favor tho idea, as such sheep should not be brought to tho snloyard. The buyer of a pen of infected sheep preferred, ns a riilo, it permitted, to make his own arrangements about dipping. Tito Inspector mentioned that at. Mastcrton, Messrs. Lowes and lorns, auctioneers, erected a dip at their saloyards but it received very little support from the fanning community who preferred to dip on tlioii own promises. Ho was, however, of opinion that- a coutral public dip in a fainting district like Matawhero would be a good and desirable thing, but bo would not. pare to urge its ■erection unless there were some guarantee that it would he supported. It was, he thought, rather a mattor for privato enterprise. Mr. C. Cameron upheld the Inspector’s view. It was not right to take in looted sheep to the yards, but they would find, in tho majority of cases, that it was men who had dips of their own who brought diseased sheep to tho yards.