IMPROVED ORCHARDS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 17, 21 January 1916, Page 2

IMPROVED ORCHARDS

DEPUTATION TO MINISTERS

ITS IMPORTANCE RECOGNISED

A deputation from the conference of the New 'Zealand Association of Nurserymen, which has been meeting at Wellington, waited upon the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. W. F. Massey) and the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald (Minister' for Agriculture) this morning, and submitted the decisions arrived at.

The chief .subjects laid before the Ministers were that the State should not enter into competition with the nurserymen, as at present, by offering trees and shrubs at extremely low prices; that the Orchard Bill should be submitted to Parliament next session as an urgent measure ; that regulations be immediately gazetted providing for the inspection and registration of nurseries, and for the issue .of certificates; that technical instruction on horticulture and the nursery industry be undertaken by the State. The speakers were Messrs. T. Horton, G. 0. Greene, and Shrubshall.

In. replying, the Prime Minister said that in regard to their requests for legislation, he did not need to remind them that the time of himself and.the Ministers had been fully occupied with.matters arising out of the war; and at a period when the very existence of the Empire was at state they were not prepared to divert their attention to subjects of less immediate importance. He did not know, of course, ■ what the position would be next session, but the Government had full cognisance of the desire of the nurserymen, and at the earliest opportunity they would place the legislation before Parliament, and have it passed.

In regard to the grievance that the Government "was selling trees for afforestation purposes, Mr. Massey assured the depuation that the matter had not been taken up for the pleasure or profit of the thing; or to injure the nurserymen's business. But in the past many millions of pounds' worth of trees had been destroyed in New Zealand—and to some extent the same thing was going on now —and they were faced with a probable shorts .age. Kauri supplies had nearly come to an end, and some of the other valuable timbers had also almost run out; and it was the duty of the present generation to make provision for the future. ' The Government had had to take the matter in hand and do a great deal of planting itself. (Hear, hear.) More had yet to be done, and local bodies and private owners had to be encouraged to plant trees. If ths trees could be provided at a reasonable price by the nurserymen the Government would not come into competition with them. But the trees had to be supplied. The matter was in the nurserymen's hands; if they would supply at a reasonable scale the Government, would not interfere. -.(Hear, hear.) ORCHARDS BILL.. A» to the Orchards Bill, the Hon. Mr. Mac Donald had that in hand, and as soon as the Government was able to devote time to it, and other such business, it would be attended to. • . For some years past he (the Prime Minister) had taken a keen interest in the development of the fruit industry, and, he was glad to see it was making such excellent progress. He had not given any attention so far to the technical side of the industry, but he had listened to Mr. Shrubshall's remarks thereon, and he would go into the subject with the officers of the Department.

The Hon. W. D. S. • Mac Donald, in the course of a few remarks, said that the chief legislation the deputation asked for outside the Orchard Industries Bill could be given by Order in Council, and he would take steps to have this done as soon as possible. The Orchard Industries Bill had been held over for further information; but it would be printed and circulated, asid, if possible, be given legislative effect next session. He hoped that soon a scheme of technical education would also be prepared. Most of the requests, as the Prime Minister had pointed out, involved expenditure, and at this time such matters could not de dealt with; but the Government realised the importance of the industry, and would bear that importance always in view. In conclusion, he congratulated the nurserymen upon the way they had pushed the industry along, and looked forward to the time when it would be one of the most important of New, Zealand, and equal to any in the world.