NELSON DEPUTATIONS

Evening Star, Issue 22559, 29 January 1937, Page 11

NELSON DEPUTATIONS

PROTECTION OF TOBACCO INDUSTRY PROMISED REQUEST FOR RAILWAY LINK [Pek United Press Association.] NELSON, January 29. The Hon. D. G. Sullivan received a number of deputations last evening, and left this morning to visit the bay districts. __ , ™ A deputation from the Nelson tobacco Company requested the early establishment of a tobacco research station in Nelson. The Minister said growers could rest assured that the ' Government would not allow the industry to be imperilled in any way, either by outside companies gaining control of the industry, or by the importation of foreign leaf. He wholeheartedly supported research, but how it would be organised he could not say at the momen’t. The Tobacco Control Board was preparing a plan for the development of the industry, which would shortly, be presented to Cabinet. Replying ; to a deputation seeking the filling of the gap in the railway that links Nelson with _ the southern system, the Minister said there were certain things he had yet to look into before expressing an opinion regarding the line. One was the present operating loss. Many motors were carrying goods in competition with the railways. It the Government was to undertake the linking up of Nelson with the South Island system, it would have to be assured of 100 per cent, of the traffic.