Registration of Small Commercial Gardens

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 57, 9 March 1943, Page 5

Registration of Small Commercial Gardens

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Mar. 8. The registration of commercial market gardens of half an acre and more is provided for in the Commercial Gardeus Registration Bill which was introduced and read a first time in the House today. The Prime Minister said it was intended to put the Bill through at the conclusion of the Address-in-Reply debate. Tho Bill also provides for the registration of glasshouses covering approximately one seventeenth of an acre. Registration fees, which are payable each year in May or in the case of a newly-established garden within one month of its establishment, are as fol lows: From half an acre to one acre, os.; from one to three acres, 10s.; from three to seven acres, £1; from seven to 15 acres, 305.; over 15 acres, £2. Various kinds of vegetable crops covered by the Bill are set out in the schedule. A brief explanation of tho Bill was given by the Minister of Agriculture (Hon. J. G. Barclay) who said its provisions had been sought for the last seven or eight years by commercial gardeners. The registration fees would be collected by the Post Office and after the costs of collection had been met the balance would be paid to the Dominion Council of Commercial Gardeners Limit cd. This was to be expended in furthering the interests of vegetable production. In reply to questions the Minister said potatoes and field produce for stock food did not come under the Bill. Farmers growing garden peas would only come under it in the event of the produce being marketed in the ordinary way. The growing of crops for seed purposes was also excluded.