LIME AND FERTILISER

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 February 1940, Page 4

LIME AND FERTILISER

CHEAPER RATES WANTED. . ■ Two matters o£ interest to the West Coast farmers, the findings of the Lime Commission and the question of the establishment on the West Coast of a free point for the distribution of superphosphate were brought, to the notice of. the Minister of Agriculture (Mr W. Lee Martin), in Greymouth last evening, by Messrs W. Clayton and J. Mulcare, who waited on him as a deputation from the West Coast Provincial. Executive of the Farmers’ Union. After hearing the deputation, the Minister said he hoped'the report of the Lime Commission would be ready for release shortly. As regards a free point for the distribution of fertiliser, Mr A. H. Cockayne, Director of Agriculture, suggested that it would be better if West Coast farmers arranged to get their fertiliser at the t same price as North Island farmers, namely,, £3/46/6 at the works in Canterbury. This would mean a reduction of about 5/- 'a ton to West Coast farmers. Mr Mujcare said 1 that the deputation was concerned with the matter of lime and fertiliser. Lime was about the qiost important thing as far as the Coast was concerned. What they were interested in was the findings of the Lime Commission, what the Commission had recommended, and so forth. They had enquired, but had not even had the courtesy of a reply. He suggested that the findings of the Commission should be made public immediately. The farmers had a right to know. One felt that there was something wrong when the information could not be got. Mr Clayton said that the farmers of the West Coast were concerned regarding the establishment of a free distribution point for fertiliser on the West Coast. The farmers here had a particular problem. They were up against the problem of labour owing to the competition of the coal, gold and timber industries. They were handicapped by want of labour, and this had an effect on the use of lime and 1 superphosphate. He had found that the best way to lime and superphosphate his land was by contract labour, but. all farmers could not resort to this method. Therefore, in view of the labour difficulty, it was essential that lime and superphosphate should be as cheap as. possible. If the farming industry was to go ahead on the West. Coast—and it should be encouraged .because it was the one permanent industry of the Province since all the others were working on wasting assets—cheap lime and cheap fertiliser must be made available. This was the one thing that would encourage farming on the West Coast. He asked the Minister to remember that the farmer was tied down to fixed prices so far as his products were concerned. There was no reason why the West Coast farmer should pay more for his fertiliser than the Canterbury farmer, and this could bi achieved by having a free point— Stillwater was suggested for the distribution of fertiliser.

SUGGESTED CONCESSION. Mr Cockayne said that.’the deputation was asking tor a very considerable concession from the fertiliser companies. He thought it would be a fair thing if the West Coast secured the North Island* price, namely,, £3 16/6 a ton at the fertiliser works in Canterbury. Canterbury, Otago and Southland farmers paid £4/2/- a ton at free distribution points in those provinces. The Minister said that the suggestion made bv Mr Cockayne could be put into operation by the Agricultural Department. Mr Cockayne said that a large area in the North Island was in quite as difficult a position as the West Coast so far as the railage of fertiliser was concerned, but North Island farmers were getting their fertiliser at. £3 16/6 at the works. The same arrangement could be made lor the West Coast without breaking the agreement, with the fertiliser companies, and it. would probably bring the price on the West Coast down by 5/- a ton. Mr Mulcare: That would be a great help.

Mr Cockayne said that trying io fix a new free distribution point would have repercussions with the fertiliser companies.

Mr Mulcare said that the managei of one company had promised exactly what the deputation was asking for now, and consequently West Coast farmers felt sore on the point.

'['he Minister said he agreed with Mr Clayton as to the value of lime and superphosphate to the West Coast With regard to the Lime Commission’s report he had anticipated that that would have been ready by now, but the war had caused a great deal of extra work in connection with the marketing of meat, wool, butter, and other products. He had received the Commission’s report only a week or two ago. The report had been circulated to Ministers, but so far there had non been an opportunity to discuss it in Cabinet, and until Cabinet had discussed the report it could not be released. There might be some further delay in printing, as the report was very voluminous, but he hoped it would be ready for distribution shortly, at least to those who were most interested. Owing to the war, they might, not be able to' give effect to all the recommendations of the Commission. He was sorry to hear from Mr Mulcare that no reply had been received to an enquiry about, the Commission’s report, because the Agricultural Department prided itself

on its prompt replies. Mr A. D. Mercer, of the Agricultural Department, said the letter had been acknoweldged, bu,t no further reply had been received. With regard to lime the Minister said that they were trying to evolve some method by which, in addition to giving free railage on lime up to 100 miles, they could also give help to those who had to. depend, on road haulage. That was a matter on which they were getting information. It would mean a considerable expenditure by the Department. Some of the farmers who had been given the concession on lime railage, when they were struggling, did not; really need that concession now, but they did not seem to realise that farmers in the bacl country, less fortunately situated, did need tho concession, to enable them to use lime freely. He could assure the deputation that the matters they had brought to his notice would receive his careful consideration.