FARMING AFFAIRS

Lake County Mail, Issue 5, 25 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 are not necessarily those of this newspaper.

CORRECTION Two minor details in last week’s information about. the annual Dominion Conference of Federated Farmers were incorrect and regret is expressed that they occurred. The closing date for the remits for the conference was June 7, and not July 7 as reported in our columns. The remit committee has already met to finalise the agenda which has been sent to provinces. The date given for the conference was also incorrect in detail. The conference will last for three days, July 30, July 31, and August 1, not July 30, August 1 and 2. Head office of the Federation regrets the previous inaccuracies but has made every effort to have the correct information sent to provincial executives. DAIRY PRODUCTION While details of the general dairy production decline in recent years is well known, further statistics now available show the trend in other manners. Decrease in dairy cattle population and the number of dairy factories are as follows: — Dairy Cows. —1935, 1,807,377; 194G, 1,622,000; decrease, 185,377. Dairy Herds.—l94o, 68,739; 1946, 64,936; decrease, 3803. Dairy Suppliers. —1937, 71,000; 1945, 57,200; decrease, 13,800. Pigs.—l 936, 800,802; 1946, 549,000; decrease, 251,802. CARTAGE OF SHEEP Information received by head office of the Federation indicates that the provisions of the Stock Amendment Act, 1935, relating to the use of consignment notes for the cartage of sheep, are not being, carried out by farmers. Sub-sec-tion 7 of that Act requires consignment notes to be carried by persons conveying sheep from one place to another. Such notes are not, of course, necessary if the sheep are conveyed by the owner or by servants within the limits of the owner’s land or from one of the owner’s farms to another, provided that the two farms are not more than 12 miles distant. They are also unnecessary in the case of sheep carried within a borough or when being taken to saleyards not more than 12 miles from the farm. Sheep carried to and from an A. and p. show do not require these special consignment notes nor do those carried by the Railways Department or in any other fashion requiring the use of a bill of lading or shipping document. The provisions of the Stock Amendment Act were designed to replace earlier legislation governing the transport of sheep after dark. They also tightened up the law against sheep-stealing and in view of the recurrence of thefts of stock, farmers are urged to comply strictly with the law in their own interests. Special books of consignment notes as required by the Act are available from head office of Federated Farmers. Taxed with, a Smile. Finding that his code number had been omitted from his income tax papers, a West Country man returned them to the Inspector of Taxes, ornamented with a Chad exclaiming, “Wot! No Number?” Back from the Tax Office came another drawing showing only the hands and nose, with Chad hiding bis head in shame on + he side of the wa 1 1. Bfnderneath was the caption, “Dammit, I slipped!” “Father was delighted when I told Mim von were a poet ” “Oh. I’m v’ad to hear that!” “Yes, the last of my boys he tried fcp kick out of the house was a boxing

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