FARMING AFFAIRS

Lake County Mail, Issue 4, 18 June 1947, Page 2

FARMING AFFAIRS

This column is supplied weekly by Federated Farmers of New Zealand. The information given is official, but any views expressed are those of the Federation, and not necessarily those of this newspaper. FARMERS’ CONFERENCES May, June and July make up the season of farmers’ conferences. It is with Federated Farmers it seems, for during the last month the various provinces have been holding their annual meetings and the three produce section national conferences are to be held in Wellington at the end of this month. The agriculture section delegates will meet in Wellington on June 18 for their conference and arrangements are being made for a visit to Palmerston North on the following day. There they will visit Massey Agricultural College and the research station of the Grasslands Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

The meat and wool section conference is called for June 25, and the dairy section meeting for June 2(5, both one-day conferences. Remits closed for the agriculture section ou Wednesday, June 11, and the remits for the meat and wool section will close on June 19.

Last year the full Dominion Conference followed the section conferences immediately. This year, however, in order to give time to prepare for national matters arising out of the various section conferences, the Dominion annual meeting will not be hold until the end of July. It is i® be a three-day meeting on July 30, August 1 and August 2, The closing date for remits for the full national conference has been fixed for Saturday, July 7. The remit committee, consisting of Messrs H. E. Blyde ( (acting Dominion president), J. J. Maher (Dominion treasurer), and P. P. L. Dillon (Marlborough president), will meet on the following Wednesday, July 11. When they have prepared the remits for presentation, an endeavour will be made to send the final list of remits to provinces in time for consideration before the Dominion conference. ACTION COMMITTEE WORK A full programme of work for the next three months has been planned by the Dominion Action Committee of the Federated Farmers. The field organiser for the committee is at present concluding a tour of Wairarapa branches with the mobile film unit. In that way branch members learn at first hand the work of the committee and get a full understanding of the policy and problems of the committee. Next move is to Nelson, where the organiser will take the film unit to all branches preparatory to holding a “Farm Week” in Nelson city. Window displays, special exhibitions of byproducts, film screenings, public addresses, essay competitions in the secondary schools, luncheons —all will be featured during 'the week from July 7 to July 12. These “Farm Weeks” will become a feature of the committee’s programme during the winter months. Blenheim will be covered after Nelson and then Christchurch. The Federation has arranged for a special display at the New Zealand Industries Fair in Christchurch during August. All North Canterbury branches will be vjsited by the organiser prior to the Fair and special film programmes will be shown them at their meetings. It is hoped gradually to include all provinces in the new programme and hold “Farm Weeks” in most of the major provincial towns. Visits to branches to date by the mobile film unit have proved exceedingly popular. Record attendances of members and their wives are reported from the Wairarapa. The films shown have been specially selected and a representative of the Action Commit- (

tec supports the film programme with an address on Action Committee Policy and Programme. The exhibition unit which visited so many agricultural and pastoral shows last summer is now being remodelled as a result of experience gained and the new displays will prove moat effective.