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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 62

President's Address

President's Address

The President said:—Gentlemen, before commencing the business of this Conference, allow me, on behalf of our Association, to express the very great pleasure it gives us to see the various Societies of New Zealand so well represented here to-day, and I am sure it is a source of satisfaction to all that the Government have so far assisted this Conference by readily acceding to our request in granting free passes to our delegates, thereby no doubt in some cases helping some Societies who otherwise might not have been represented here. With your permission, which I am sure you will be only too pleased to grant, the Government will also be represented at this Conference by the presence of Mr Ritchie, the Secretary of Agriculture, who no doubt will be willing and able to assist us in many ways. He has not yet arrived, but will no doubt do so before the Conference closes. Personally I cannot help regretting that the honour of presiding over this important gathering has not fallen to the lot of one of our more experienced and worthy chiefs, and I am confident it will be a source of regret to all present, the unavoidable absence, through ill health of one who always takes the warmest interest in all matters pertaining to agriculture, is one of our most prominent members, and was unanimously elected as one of our representatives at this meeting. I refer to Sir John Hall. (Hear, hear.) It is an established custom of almost all other industries to hold periodical gatherings to take into careful consideration matters pertaining to their welfare. It is, therefore, a matter of congratulation that our Agricultural Societies by the presence of their representatives here show that we intend no longer struggling along single page 6 handed, but in the future work together in the interests of agriculture, and if our meeting here will enable us to adopt the old saying—make two blades of grass grow where only one has previously grown—our conference will not only have benefited every person in the colony and accomplished its object, but will, in all probability, lead to similar gatherings. To facilitate the business of this Conference, a sub-Committee appointed for that purpose went most carefully through all the questions suggested for consideration, with the result that they found so many subjects of such importance, the discussion of which will fully absorb all the time at our disposal, that they were compelled reluctantly to strike off some of minor importance, and now, I am quite sure you will agree with me that our agenda paper as placed before you, contains no question or subject that any person can take objection to, and I shall only be expressing the unanimous wish of our Association when I say that I hope no question of a political character will in any way be introduced by any member of this Conference. (Hear.) I may further add that for the sake of expediency, we have prepared a very short paper on each of the subjects before you, which, as we proceed, I will ask our Secretary to read, and this will open up the question for discussion without any delay. While altogether excluding politics, our hands will in no way be tied in making demands upon the Government of the day for the general and better development of the agricultural and pastoral interests of the colony, or even asking for the establishment of a fully equipped Agricultural Department. As before said, each subject will be opened by one of the short papers, so that it is quite unnecessary for me to detain you by making any further remarks—further than perhaps saying that should any representative be called away during the morning that I shall ask the Conference to adjourn at 1 p.m. for one hour, and that our Association have provided luncheon at Warner's Hotel at 1.15 p.m., where we hope to see you all present. There is one matter we have been unable, owing to our being uncertain how many representatives would actually be present, to decide upon, that is the basis of voting, and in order to arrive at a fair and equitable decision we have decided that this shall be the first subject discussed.