SEED-TESTING STATION

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 267, 23 August 1946, Page 5

SEED-TESTING STATION

DEPUTATION TO WAIT ON PRIME MINISTER

! MR SULLIVAN WILL BE LEADER I (P.A.) DUNEDIN, August 22. “It would be foolish to ask for the j establishment of a Dominion dairy rel search station in Central Otago. It is I just as absurd to have a Dominion i seed-testing station in Palmerston | North,” said Mr A. H. Orbell, when the Otago provincial executive of FedI orated Farmers of New Zealand was j discussing the proposal to have the 'station moved to the South Island.

“It is only logical and reasonable that any station of that naturS should be situated in tlie district which has the greatest use for it,” Mr Orbell added. The discussion arose from advice received by the executive that the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser) would receive a deputation, on this subject from combined South Island bodies in Wellington on August 29. All South Island members of Parliament had been approached, it was stated, and all but one supported the proposed transfer of the' station. The Minister of Industries and Commerce (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) tvas fully in suppoi't of the proposal, and would take action without precedent for a senior member of the Cabinet —that of leading the deputation to the Prime Minister.

“A new station is to be built,” said Mr J. S. Hunt (Wanaka). “That has been decided. The director of the station wants it kept in Palmerston North, and advances the reason that he cannot get operators to go to the South Island. Such a pretext is ridiculous.”

A member: The Prime Minister’s decision to receive this deputation means that we are- winning. Now-we. must follow it up.