COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURE.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 July 1921, Page 7

COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURE.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE. THE WOOL POSITION. By Telegraph —Press Association. ■Wellington, July 20. The eighth annual conference of the New Zealand Council of Agriculture opened to-day. Forty-five agricultural, pastoral and breeders’ societies were represented. Mr. W. Perry (Masterton) presided. The Hon. W. Nosworthy, in opening the conference, said that since last conference the agricultural position had become less satisfactory, but an improvement was hoped for, if not at once in the near future. Through the Wool Committee the Government had taken action to meet the great slump in wool and had entered into firm with , Bawrd, but the GpXernment ... wished, to interfere as little as possible with the market conditions. He was glad to see that some improvement in prices had been shown since the -arrangement spoken of. The dairying outlook was very much brighter than a few weeks ago. The Minister drew attention to the steady decrease in the number of sheep in the Dominion. The last published figures showed a drop in the vicinity of two millions, while again this year there would be, he was afraid, a drop of' between 600,000 and 700,000. He hoped farmers Would not continue the present policy of letting their sheep stocks decline. He believed that although sheep farmers were passing through a very serious crisis the prospects'were probably brighter than had ever been known before. He looked to things righting themselves a great deal sooner than some people would lead others to believe.