MANURE FOR FARMERS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 25, 29 July 1926, Page 19

MANURE FOR FARMERS

HARBOUR BOARD REDUCES CHARGES

A DISCUSSION ON POLICY.

A lengthy discussion' took place at last night's meeting of the Harbour Board in regard to a recommendation of tho Wharves and Accounts Committee that the wharfage on artificial manures landed direct into railway trucks he 1 educed by Is per ton. The proposal was finally agreed to. Mr. G. Mitchell-objected to tiie proposal oa the ground that thc\ board would bo differentiating as between two classes of purchasers. He would rather have seen the board make a flat rate all round. Mr. C. H. Chapman said that Mr. Mitchell was on insecure ground in suggesting that a flat rate should be fixed, for the costs to the board in handling the manure were not at all the same in landing into trucks and into sheds. The Government had expressed its willingness to reduce freight upon manure by 40 per cent., and the Harbour Board was going even further, in reducing its charges 50 per cent. By making it possible for the farmer to obtain manure «t a lower price, the board would be assisting materially in increasing the productivity of the country,, but the only unpleasant possibility was that if the Government and the Harbour Board reduced their charges, the people concerned in its supply would take the opportunity to increase the price. < BOARD SHOULD GO FURTHER. Mr. J. G. Cobbe said that it was pleasant for a farmer to hear a man with Mr. Chapman's convictions speak as he did. Actually no great sum was involved in the board's charge upon manure from ship to rail, and he would like to see the board go further and remove the charge altogether. Mr. D. J. M'Gowan said that he f..lt that the board should treat both sides alike; he agreed with Mr. Mitchell's view. Captain. M'Arthur maintained that if the board made the reduction proposed it would be doing quite a fair thing. Mr. Cobbe said that he did not propose to make a, speech; it did not..appear necessary. He would simply move aa, an amendment that the board should make no charge for manure put direct ; into the trucks from the ship. It was 'absurd to suggest that a reduction of Is per ton would assist the farmer far in increasing the productivity of the country. Any reductions ■were welcome" said Mr. T. B. Barrer, but such reductions would not meet the position while methods of handling in this country^ were so extravagant. Mr. Mitchell movedy as a further amendment that the reduction of Is per ton should be made all round. • The chairman, replying to Mr. Mitchell and Mr. M'Gowan, said, that the board could not do something for nothing, or something that would mean a loss to the board. The amendments -were defeated and the recommendation adopted.