THE JERSEY MEN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 51, 18 July 1912, Page 7

THE JERSEY MEN.

BIG GATHERING IN STRATFORD. ANNUAL MEETING! OF THE JERSEY BREEDERS' ASSOCIATION. (From our Stratford Reporter.) The annual meeting of the New Zealand Jersey Breeders' Association was held at Stratford yesterday, and was largely attended by delegates from all parts of the North Island. Mr. A. 11. Haleonihe, the president, presided. PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS.

) The president's address congratulated the members on the strength and proIgress of the association, the membership having grown to 235. The financial position was sound, with £837 lis 7d in the capital account, of which £4OO was invested for three years at 5V 2 per cent. The Herd Book work of the association had, during his term as a vice-president and president, expanded very considerably, and showed that the Jersey in New Zealand was destined to have greater effect yet in the dairy world. Taramiki dairymen had proved the Jersey, and that was why the Jersey looms so large here and in other dairying centres of the Dominion. The official testing of cows, as was expected, commenced slowly at first. Now it was getting a start, and in the next few years a big increase in the numbers might be expected. Some important developments must come about in connection with the Herd Book. It could be arranged that a special mark of abbreviation be placed against those cows which were in the "register of merit"; also those bulls, the progeny of "register of merit" cows, could be marked. Much more could be done in this way. The Herd Book could be graded as to butter-fat production. "We want buttev-fat," said Mr. Halcombe, "and those who have the strain experience the demand. It is up to us to show how good the Jersey is in butter-fat production."

ELECTION OF OFFICERS. Messrs. A. 11. Halcombe (the retiring president) and W. M. Tapp were nominated for the position of president. Mr. Halcombe withdrew his nomination, saying lie believed that to have a fresh president each year was in the best interests of the association. Mr. Tapp was thereupon elected. In returning thanks he mentioned that he had been connected with the association since its inception. There was no need for him to assure them of his deep interest in the welfare of the association. The introduction of the Jersey into dairy herds was only now becoming an accomplished fact, after many years of exertion. Breeders were beginning to recognise now what was accepted as a truism in older countries—that the Jersey cow was "the'' dairy cow par excellence. Mr. Tapp thought that even more strenuous effort should be made to interest more dairymen of the Dominion in the Jersey breed. The Jersey was proving herself the most economical producer, and members should do their utmost to prove to their rivals the superiority of their favorite breed. Messrs. Eagle (Carterton) and Watson (Manawatu) were nominated as vicepresident. Mr. Eagle was allowed to withdraw his nomination on the pica of pressure of private business. Mr. Watson was thereupon elected. Messrs. Connell and Rutherford were re-elected auditors, and Messrs. Halcombe and J. A. McCrea to the council. The vacancy caused l>v Mr. Tapp's election as president will be filled by the council. THE HERD BOOK. The meeting discussed in committee the remit from the Manawatu subbranch: "That the matter of re-opening the Herd Book be re-considered, and that instead of a ;ClO fine, an application fee of three guineas be collected for each animal entered.'' At the same time the remit from the Wanganui sub-branch was taken: 'That on no account should the rule dealing with the closinir 0 f the Herd Book be relaxed." The Wanganui remit was withdrawn.

After discussion the action of the council in re-opening the book at a fee of £lO was confirmed.

JUDGKS. Mr. llarkness moved the remit of the Stratford sub-branch: "That no further names be added to the judges* list unless such names be. iir.-t' submitted and approved by the branch nearest to the district in which the person resides " In support, lie said that no prophet 'was without honor save in his own country, and if a man were recognised locally as a judge, he would "do." Mr. llarkness also advocated a system of score-cards m order to secure some uniformity of judging—Mr. J. ]). Healv seconded,'and stressed the importance of Imvin-r the best men as judges from the breeders' and agricultural associations" point of view. Other members were against altering the present right of the council to select all judges, the branches recommending candidates. ] u answer to a ; question, the president said the judges' list had been recently revised °An amendment by Mr. Booth, mereiy providing for revision of the list " from names submitted by the different branches, was carried, the remit bein" withdrawn. c

POWER OF THE COUNCIL. The Auckland sub-branch (Mr. Tapp) moved a remit denying the right of the council to alter any resolution pas.sed at an annual general meeting, such resolution to be considered ipso facto a valid rule of the association until the next meeting. Mr. Tapp said it was most unusual for an executive to have power to reverse tlte decision of the annual meeting, as was done by this association. Mr. R. T. B. Mellow seconded, and Mr. R. Dingle supported the motion, saying it was not usual for directors to have power to alter articles or decisions of the general body of shareholders. He did not believe that the members of the council "had all the brains." Mr. Mackenzie (Manawatu) believed the council should have the power of veto in some matters, for they had more time than the members at an annual meeting to weigh matters of importance.

REPUESEXTATTOX. Mr. Tap]) moved a further remit of the Auckland sub-braTioh: ''That for the purpose of representation on the council the Dominion be divided into five districts, each district to be represented bv one representative for approximately an equal number of members." Mr. Tapp said that by his proposal the council would be representative of the members There was need for a wider system of representation. Mr. Watson seconded. Mr. Eooth moved an amendment to provide seven members of the council a.s follows: Auckland one. South Auckland and YYaikato one. Taranaki two, Wairarapa and Uawke's Bay one. Wellington and Palmcrslon one, and South Island one. And. furl her. that the president and vice-presidents should be elected from these seven councillors. The motion was withdrawn, and the amendment carried.

W'TTETJ-FAT TEST. Mr. Deem (WniiLiiinui) moved Ihal it be a recommendation to the council to accept the registration only of the offspring of such animals which have a hijlli bullcr-fa/ te-t (.standard to be determined). The idea w:is to prevent "riff-i-air cattle from liein-r registered, and to have only useful cattle" in lh ( > Herd Hook. Mr. Dingle said it would prove awkward sometimes. Tn bis own case lie had lost a cow recently calved, flow could hj» n-uarantee the butter-fat ) product ion of that dam? The chairman paid that the dav would come when New 7, aland would do what Jersey was doinjr —refusing to register auv but the progeny of good butter-fat producers

Mr. Harkness made the point that sometimes cows did not show well at the tester till the fifth year. Mr. Stanley .Shaw said the register of merit would eventually solve the problem. Mr. A. A. Ward pointed out that sometimes a "duffer" cow would drop a calf to a .sire of heavy butter-fat producing strain, and that calf might be expected to take after the sire. Mr. Healy endorsed Mr. Shaw's remark, and said that a heifer from a "duffer" might have a calf that would give phenomenal results. —The motion having been discussed, it was withdrawn. IMPURE STOCK. Mr. Deem (Wanganui) moved that the meeting consider: —"In the event of a cow being sold and the calf proving impure:—'(a) How the question is to be determined, be settled; (b) that if the question of impurity be sustained, the seller be called upon to make good the ascertained loss, and that the same committee or authority (it may be one only) judging the ease be authorised to assess the damage and what is to be paid to the buyer therefor; (c) that in the event of a refusal to comply with the decision given (as provided in Part B hereof), no registration of any animals or transfer of any sales be registered for »uch seller, and that for all time he cease to be a member of the association or of any branch." Mr. Deem said that two Wanganui members had "fallen in," buying alleged purebred stock and finding it was actually half-bred. One bad obtained recompense.

Mr. Booth said that if the stock was bought from a registered breeder, a mcmli' r of the association, then tiie matter should be properly reported to the association and dealt with by the council.

Mr. Deem said that the stock was so purchased. The president said the council could penalise the breeder only when the seller had been proved guilty : by law. The rules provided for expulsion of members upon misdeameanour of this kind being proved at common law. Mr. Shaw and Mr. Dingle said that buyers had recourse against a fraudulent seller at common law. The president warned members not to accept a verbal guarantee, which should be obtained in writing.—The motion was not pressed, but Mr. Deem gave notice to move it at ;the next annual meeting of members. The Manawatu sub-branch (Mr. Mackenzie) moved: ''That the Auctioneers' Associations be asked not to advertise animals as pure-bred unless the owners ,sign certificates that the said animals are either registered already, or are eligible for registration in the Herd Books of some associations of breeders of purebred cattle." Mr. Shaw said that the custom with his firm (Mr. King's) was to discriminate by the use of the word "pedigree," and if the beast were advertised as ''pedigree'' it meant that the pedigree could be given. Tim motion was carried as a recommendation to the council, YOUNG JUDGES. A further remit from Manawatu, "That the council be asked to formulate, a scheme and offer a prize from the funds to encourage young breeders in judging Jersey stock at shows," was moved by Mr* C. Dermer, who made a point that more capable judges were required, and such a scheme would assist in unearthing them. The motion was carried. ANNUAL MEETINGS. Mr. McLennon moved that the annual meetings be held in future in the summer months, at the time of the annual stock show in the locality selected for the meeting. Mr. R. Dingle said this would be a good thing in many ways, but to hold it on the day before' a show would be very iuconvenient to local breeders, who would be busy preparing their stock for show. Mr". Halcombe thought the fanners would be unable to spare time for the annual meeting in the .summer, for it was as much as they could do to attend the shows. Mr. Eagle looked on the annual meeting of the association as his annual winter holiday, and hoped the meeting would continue to be held in the winter months. He moved that the next annual meeting be held at Palmerston .North, Mr. Me°Crea seconded, and the motion was carried. Tile Manawatu delegates promised all visitors "a jolly good time." The proposal to'hold the meeting in summer was dropped.

OTHER BUSINESS'. It was decided that all members of the council be reimbursed all travelling and hotel expenses when travelling on council business. "

On Mr. McLennon's (Auckland) motion, it was decided to revise the rules and circulate the draft among members two months before the next annual meeting.

A vote of thanks was accorded the New Zealand Fanner for its oll'er to make the "Jersey Rage" a permanent feature of the paper. Mr. R. Dingle complained that the Department of Agriculture advertised Holstein and Ayrshire butter-fat production, but neglected the Jerseys. He could not understand why this was so, for the Jerseys were deserving of all the attention that could be given them m this way.

Mr. Shaw moved, and Mr. McLellan seconded, a hearty vote of thanks to the president and members of the council tor their valuable services, with special mention of Messrs. S. R. Lancaster and A. Ruclianan, who hud just retired.Carricd.

VISITORS WELCOMED. Mr. YV. V. Darkness extended a heartv welcome to the visitors, and invited them to a banouet tendered them by the Stratford sub-branch.

"IMPRESSION'S OF JERSEY" Mr Harkness then read a paper eni led Impressions of .Jersey," written by li.s father, Mr. J. (I. Harkness, who greatly regretted his inability to attend and read it himself. "

Votes of thanks to the pros* and the chairman concluded the business 0 t t annual mooting.