FARMERS’ TOUR

Hokitika Guardian, 16 August 1929, Page 1

FARMERS’ TOUR

EMPIRE PARTY TO VISIT NEW

ZEALAND

DETAILS OF ITINERARY

WELLINGTON, August 14,

Arrangements are well in hand for the‘visit of a party of British, Canadian, and South African farmers to Mew Zealand in February next. The tour is being organised by the British National Union in co-operation with the New Zealand Farmers’ Union and the South African National Union, in pursuance of the British National Union’s policy of encouraging intercourse between the people in the different parts of the British Empire.

, The party. , will be limited to eighty members, of whom fifty will be British, farmers, fifteen Canadian, and fifteen South African. At the request of the executive of the Union the Right Hon. Lord Bledisloe, chairman df the Imperial Grassland. .Association, and a well-known British agriculturist, has consented to act as leader of the party. The British party will leave by the Remuera on January 17th, and should arrive at Auckland on February 20th. A period of approximately 34 days will be spent in New Zealand, and the return journey will be commenced on March 25th from Auckland,' the party returning via Australian ports. A week or ten days will bo spent in New South Wales and Victoria. The Canadians are to sail from Vancouver by the Aorangi on. February sth, and are due at Auckland on February 23rd. They will leave for SanFrnncisco 'from Wellington by the Makura on March 25th. The South African farmers are to leave Cape Town by the Runic on nary 3rd, and before arriving in New Zealand will spend a fortnight in Victoria and New South Wales. They are due in New Zealand on February 14th and will return home .with the British fanners on 1 March 25th.

The cost of the tour is from £250 for the British and South African farmers, and £l6O for the Canadian. During the. stay in New Zealand from February 20th to March 25th, tlie party will follow an itinerary prepared by the New Zealand Farmers’ Union in conjunction with the Pailway Department. One day has been set aside on which an agricultural conference will be held, when it is hoped that in addition to the visitors and New Zealand delegates representatives will be present from Australia. In all.,probabilityafter the 80 farmers assemble at Auckland they will visit National Park and then they will split into two parties one of which will visit Gisborne Hawke’s Bay, and Wairarapa the other visiting Waitomo, Taranaki, Manawatu, and Wellington. One party will probably land at Nelson and make the West Coast tour, and' the other will land at Picton and travel down the East Coast. A detailed itinerary has been prepared.