SEED-TESTING STATION

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 248, 1 August 1946, Page 4

SEED-TESTING STATION

MINISTERS REPLY TO QUESTION

DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, July 31. Party affiliations were put on ope side by South Island members of the House of Representatives to-day when they urged that the seed-testing station should be moved from Palmerston North to the South Island. They asked for a definite statement that, when possible, the station would be moved, but were not able to get an answer. The discussion arose from the reply by the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. B. Roberts) to a question asked by Messrs W. H. Gillespie (Hurunui), J. Acland (Temuka), R. G. Gerard (Mid-Can-terbury), and D. C. Kidd (Waitaki).

Mr Roberts said the question of moving the station had been under constant review in the last few years. It hart not been found practicable to move the station from Palmerston North under existing conditions without seriously interfering with the service to producers over a long period. Mr Gillespie, criticising the reply, said the dislocation to which Mr Roberts had referred could scarcely have a wide effect, and would chiefly be felt by merchants, who had asked for the transfer of the station. . Last year the station handled 35,000 samples, and this year it was expected that there would be 40,000 samples, of which 9S per cent, would come from tlje South island. Mr C. M. Williams (Government, Kaiapoi) said this was more than a local question. Because of the acute power shortage in the North Island nothing should be done in the North Island which could be done as efficiently or, as in this case, more efficiently in the South Island. To carry samples by air would create a tremendous demand on the mail system.

South Island's Claim Mr Williams said the Minister had told him that there was no immediate intention of spending money on extending the station, and that before any expenditure was authorised the matter would be reconsidered. South Island members would have to be satisfied with the Minister's statement that the station could not be shifted now, and in the meantime should impress on the Government the strong claim of the South Island. The charge had been made that there was more emphasis on the convenience of certain members of the staff than there was on the convenience of growers. He hoped that was not true. Mr T. L. Macdonald (Opposition, Mataura) found the Minister’s reply meagre, without much hope in it. The South Island received support from Mr H. T. Morton (Opposition, Waitemata), who said it was mere commonsense that the station should be where the seeds were grown. Mr T. H. McCombs (Government, Lyttelton) suggested that the transfer could be made gradually by sections as staff could be trained in the South Island. The views of Mr W. M; C. Denham (Government, Invercargill) were that the station should not be left ill Palmerston North longer than necessary, and that it should have never been put there in the first place. Mr H. Atmore (Independent, Nelson) said there should be no difficulty about the Minister deciding whether the station would eventually be moved from Palmerston North and saying so. He repeated Mr Morton’s argument. Mr - M. H. Oram (Opposition, Manawatu) said a highly efficient service had been built up at the station, which had established a high reputation throughout the world, not as a New Zealand seed-testing station, .but as the Palmerston North seed-testing station* It would take two years to train staff for a station in the South Island.

Mr Denham: Not two years. Mr Oram asked what was going to happen in the meantime. To shift the station would be to jeopardise its reputation, without -advantage to anyone. It was better to have a little delay and retain an efficient service. He added that new plant was to be installed at the station.-

Mr J. Hodgens (Government, PaL merston North), agreeing with Mr Oram, said the station was started in 1928 because progressive farmers of Hawke’s Bay and Sanson wished to have the quality of ryegrass seed established. Later less progressive farmers in other parts of New Zealand took a leaf from their book.