TIMARU A. & P. ASSOCIATION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2644, 10 April 1894, Page 4

TIMARU A. & P. ASSOCIATION.

A meeting of the committee of the Timaru Agricultural and Pastoral Association was held on Saturday. Present —Messrs Jas. King (President), G. Talbot, A. C. Pringle, A. Wyllie, G. Lyall, W. Hay, J. S. Rutherford, D. McLaren. T. Teschemaker, W. Steveuson aud J. Campqell. Some correspondence was read frdm the Otago Society and from the secretary to he Christchurch society, with reference to the formation of a stud book for the South Island. Mr McLaren, who had acted as this Association’s delegate at a preliminary meeting at Christchurch, reported that the establishment of such a book was unanimously approved, and a committee was appointed to draft rules to be submitted to a later meeting, which had been fixed for next week. An attempt had been made to es ablish a Hick book for the North Island but it broke down through the absurdity of the proposal to register every individual sheep. The scheme approved at Christchurch was f->r he registration of flocks, a local com mittoe to be appointed by each association to inspect and approve of flocks for registration. The rules when drafted would be sent to the several ass"ciati ms, for further suggestion as to details, and afterwards sub rutted to the Agricultural Conference in Wellington in May. i'here was nothing to bo done until the tule-< were received from the Chrisichurcii meeting. The secretary reported tn..t. he had an interview with Mr J. Kahn respecting lea-.e of the native reserve b>r a show ground, and he desired the cum mittee to explain the matter to a meeting • f natives at the pah. A draft balance beet and report, to be presented to .he annual meeting on the 21st Hint, were read by the secretary J lie 'xdance-isiiMet showed that the past; year

n ;.l boon financially successful, the croair. milm-Co at -lie beginning being £ll6 ..od i»i the ciose £l4B. Ou the passage iu the report dealing with the drill trial. Mr McLaren related a personal experience which showed that the decision of the judges at the trial was a correct one. Mr Hay drew attention to the glaring breaches at the last show of the rule .gainst tampering with sheep. The rum • equiikd the judges to disqualify sheep : hat had oeeu tampered with, but it was coo much responsibility to plac: upon them. Either the rule should be altered to shift the responsibility, or else strike it out altogether, as a man who complied with the law was placed at a disadvantage. Mr McLaren said the rule had better tie struck out; it was impossible to ensure compliance with the rule, and at the Royal Shows at Home there was no rule against preparing sheep for the show., Mr Teschemaker thought it would be unwise to strike out the rule. The judges might be relieved of the disagreeable duty of disqualifying, by reporting to the class stewards, aud the Association could take the matter up. He had known judges pass over sheep that had been tampered with. Mr Hay had known cases where the judge had refused point-blank to disqualify. Mr Talbot suggested that an expert should go round before the judges aud disqualify where necessary. Mr McLaren suggested that if the attention of the Judges were specially drawn to that rule before they :egan their work, it would probably be sufficient, and the matter dropped. A few small accounts were passed for payment and the meeting terminated.