POLITICAL POINTS

Evening Star, Issue 19019, 14 August 1925, Page 10

POLITICAL POINTS

FERTILISER TRUST? GOVERNMENT CONTROL DEMANDED [Froji: Ouu Parliamentary Repoutt-e.] WELLINGTON, August 13. Alleging that a, ring or trust existed to maintain the high price of farm fertilisers, Mr Masters (Stratford) demanded in (ho-House this evening that manufacturers should cither reduce tho charges for manures or the Government should take control of the industry. I ‘wish to draw the. attention ot the Minister of Agriculture to the great need for cheap manures, said Mr Masters. “ Will the Minister carry out the promise made last year, when the member for Tauranga, in speaking to the Address-in-Roply, showed quite clearly by moans of correspondence that trust methods were in operation in regard to the sale of manures? Wo know”that trust methods are in operation. and that tho system of selling manures is such that it is not in tho interests of those who purchase this farming necessity. It is up to the Minister to see" that cheap manures arc maiic available to the farmer. There is a trust operating here which controls prices from one end of NeW Zealand to the other, and I am sorry to sav a farmers’ co-operative concern is a 'member of that combination. If companies will not exercise their control in a reasonable way, and sell their manures at a fair and reasonable profit (I do not say they should not make a fair and reasonable profit), they should he taught that they cannot prey on the fanner. If they will not meet, the Government on a fair basis there is only one thing for the Minister to say, and that is 1 1 control the raw material (the manure rock), and I am going to dictate the position. If yon re not content with a fair profit on capital invested I am going to manufacture manures on behalf of the Government with tho material we get from Naunr Island.’ If the Minister is strong enough ho will take up that attitude. It is demanded of him.” Mr Field (Otaki) strongly supported the demand for cheaper manures, and declared that if companies were doing as had hcon alleged they were an abomination in the land. The Minister of Agriculture had no opportunity of replying, as the report was talked out.

IMPERIAL PREFERENCE. The Stores Control 'Board’s report shows that £4,416,833 was spent in purchases for tho year ended March 31. Preference to British industries is stressed, and this policy of the hoard had henofitted both local and British produces. Except for stores unpurchaseable within tho Empire, the amount expended abroad was negligible. 0 * « » « DEER AND ’POSSUM SLAUGHTER. During last season tho Government continued to assist, by the paying ol a bonus, in thinning nut the deer in the South Island, bonuses having been paid in respect of 7,500 deer killed, in the ’possum season 95,991 skins wore taken. » * » « STATE FOREST LEGISLATION." The principal provision in tho amendment to the Forests Act introduced by tho Government to-day is a clanso facilitating financial arrangements. When land acquired for settlement purposes is sot apart as a State forest the capital value in this case will be transferred from tho lands to State forests liability. Similar provision is authorised where‘transfers of land are made from the Native land settlement areas. The Governor-General may, when expedient in the public interest, grant flic fee simple of any forest area in exchange for the fee simple of other land, and, if necessary, pay any difference in price without further authority. Several clauses improve the method of constituting fire protection areas. No lease of land for grazing in a forest area shall he granted for longer than one year without the consent of tho Minister, » » » » SPEEDi NG-UP WANTED. Tho Minister of Railways had a reminder to-day from the member for Wakntipu that ho had promised to speed up the Otago Central railway service. Mr Horn wanted to know when tho speeding-up will arrive. * * * » CAPITALISING STATE BENEFITS. When Mr Nosworthy, Minister in charge of Housing Loans, moved the second reading of a Bill to repeal tho restrictions on freehold dwellings _ acquired in respect to workers’ dwellings to-night Mr Sidey (Dunedin South) urged that payments might ho made to extend over periods of thirty to thirty-six years. The Minister, he said, in this Bill was removing tho restrictions in respect to sales of dwellings to workers only. Mr Savage referred to houses built for £6OO, which the Bill would enable the present occupiers to sell for £I,OOO. Those advertising houses for sale made a special feature of a Government mortgage. Could it be wondered at? The Minister of Lands (Air M'Leod) said the prevention of selling was not going to bo an easy matter to handle. The number of people with legitimate reasons for transferring formed a very large percentage. A large number of State servants had to move through being transferred to other localities, and there were many genuine cases of peopl compelled to shift from health or other uncontrollable reasons. Then there were had tenants of the State. ■When the department was forced to allow a transfer he favored a condition of transfer that 50 per cent, of the State advance should he repaid. * * ■» * NATION AL ENDOWMENT. The national endowment area was reduced during the year by 13,100 acres, states tho annual report. Of tho area within the endowment some 6,847,755 acres were held on lease or license at March 31 by 4,455 tenants, paying an annual rental of £138,254; while 1,693,897 acres (partly, however, covered by existing leases) had been set aside as provisional State forests.