STATE CRASS SEED.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 132, 27 February 1908, Page 2

STATE CRASS SEED.

SOlffi FARMERS WILL NOT ACCEPT. Regarding the question of State aid tc settlors' iwhoso properties have bl'cii torn '.. y .porarily in jural.through bush and gl-ass'fires,' Ml - ., J. ,]}•" F. Sutherland, Crowli Lands . Ranger, . informed , v our Wairarapa..'correspondent, that,.'so far as lie know from tho. eases which had Com'<\ under his notice, no farmer was in want of financial assistance. There was no doubt tlyit a number of settlers had suffered se.vcre!y. .through ihe fins,..but,.so • far as ho knew,'.a')iiiinber of tlu-sn would not even accbpt'griiss-s.eed 'from. the. CJovoiniiioiit. as they corisjdcred'.thnt it savourctj too iiiuch ■■■ of charitablb. : tii tjV JThoi-c was,\ Itojvcyor, no reason why- tfcv farmers;should liot, accept tho grass-seed, bpcauso tho Gbycriim(!iU'*did'not

wish: thb'm to take" it' for nothing. Payment oxtonded to.a period, of:four years, iWith no interest, ; .madb fairly.-,"easy toVnis.;; 1t.,. Would possibly cost from, IOs.V to '12s. an. aero; to grass the burnt laiids. A iafgo number "of applications had been received from Crown Lands tenants in various parts of tho district for grass-seed, which"would bo distributed, as quickly as possible.' Mr. Sutherland thought that the settlers would mostly feel the pinch when the new grass would •bo coming 111. Dairy ..stock jvquld ;scour 'a. lot;; and it. was very likely ' tnere 1 would b'o' much' loss "from this cause.