FARMING INTERESTS

Northern Advocate, 31 January 1928, Page 7

FARMING INTERESTS

DEPUTA TION 'S REPORT. INTERVIEW WITH MINISTER. gathering of farmers attondoVlLit the Mama Hall on Saturday evening to hear a report from the deputation which recently waited on the Hon. 0. J. Hawken in connection with matters of vital interest to farmers. Mr A. W. Hutchings was voted to the chair. Mr Wood, a member of the deputation, stated that Messrs Meßreen, O’Hagan and he had waited on the Minister. The questions dealt with were in reference-to roads, contagious mammatis, duty on agricultural implements and grain, cheaper manures, etc. ROADS. In reference to roads, Mr Wood said that it was possible the amount collected from the petrol tax would approximate £1,000,000. That being the ease the deputation hoped that something would be done to improve the roads leading to settlers’ homes. The bad roads which country people had to put up with increased the cost of production of butter, wool, etc. The Minister expressed sympathy with the question and promised to bring the matter under the notice of the proper authorities* CONTAGIOUS MAMMITIS.

Mr-Wood went on to say that this sublet was dealt very fully with, but the Minister stated that there was no proof that there was a definite cure for mammitis. The Government had done all it could to find a cure for the disease aftd he did not think anything more could be done.

Mr Wood thought the attitude taken up by Mr Hawken in connection with this subject was peculiar and it appeared to him (Mr Wood) that some proprietary firm or firms selling alleged cures for mammitis hold a strong position which the Government did not care to assail. He had asked, that the Government challenge them to prove the effectiveness of their alleged cures. CHEAPER MANURES. Mr Wood pointed out that the cost of phosphate rock to the manufacturer at the ship's side was £2 7s, and the selling cost to the farmer £4 17s 6d, which meant that the price for grinding was £2 10s fid. He thought this excessive. The Minister had said in reply that he did not think the manufacturers were making the business pay at £4 2s fid per ton. However he promised to look into it. DUTY ON IMPLEMENTS AND GRAINS. Asked if the duty on farm implements and grains could not be reduced the Minister had said that he did not think there was a duty on implements hmt that there’ Was a preferential tariff against them. The Minister further stated that if grains came in duty free ho was afraid that all sorts of diseases would bo introduced into the country.-

GUM LANDS,

Mr Wood said that the next subject dealt with was gum lands. The deputation expressed the view that the opening up of gum lands was not warranted. This was backed up with figures placed before the Minister, who said it was not the Government’s intention to open up gum lands. At present the Government was only experimenting with these lands had no intention of opening them up indiscriminately, though if a settler had the money to break in gum land he (the Minister) saw no reason why such a man should not be given the opportunity to try. The idea of the Government, however, was to do all it possibly could to keep the present occupiers of ]and on their farms. Mr Mcßreen, on being called upon, said that the ground had been covered by Mr Wood, though he would like to add a little about Narua phosphate. The only treatment Narua phosphate received at the works was grinding and bagging, and he thought the charge for this, namely £2 10s fid, was excessive. , The Minister expressed agreement with him if that was the only treatment Narua rock received and promised to look into it. Continuing, Mr Mcßreen said he knew of a lime company which took limestone from the quarry and ground and delivered it to the railway for 8s or 9s a ton. Therefore it seemed excessive to him that the manufacturer should charge £2 10s fid for taking Nauru phosphate from the ship to the works and grinding and bagging it. Dealing with superphosphate, -which was a different thing, Mr Mcßreen said that it took half a ton of sulphuric acid and half a ton of Nauru phosphate to make one- ton of superphosphate. The mixture was churned by machinery, dropped on to a travelling bench, convoyed to bins and cooled. The sulphuric acid was manufactured from raw sulphur. One ton of sulphur cost £5 10s. It was burnt at low cost, as it required practically no fuel, and the fumes were received into leaden tanks. Nitric acid was then introduced and this had the effect 'of L liquifying the gas.

* It did not seem to him therefore that the making of superphosphate, was a very expensive undertaking. What New Zealand required was cheap manures and plenty cf them. East spring cream production was about one thrd mow than for the

corresponding period the previous year, Ynd this was in spite of a cold wet

winter ami a backward spring compared with an abnormally good season in .1020. The reason for the increase

was the application of larger quantities of manure which wore bought during the autumn on account of a drop of 30s a ton in the price.

Another matter touched on by Mr Mcßreen was the duty on mowing machines. Now Zealand, being a grazing country, fodder was needed in the winter. Hence mowing machines were

required at as cheap a rate as possible. Furthermore, mowing machines could bo used to cut fern, young titrec and young gorse and other weeds which were a menace to the gramer. It was his contention that there should be a mowing machine on every farm, not one for about every fifteen farms, as was the case at present. He was sure that if every farmer had a mowingmachine of his own there would be a great deal more pasture. The price for a mowing machine today was about £32 10s. The same machine could be bought for about £lO about fifteen years ago.

A long discussion then ensued as to the merits of English, American and colonial machinery. Mr Moyer expressed the opinion that farmers should make. everything subservient to cheaper manures. This would be the best thing for the country. If the land could be made to cprry more stock the farmers could be kept on the land. There was nothing in the interests of the farmer that could compare with a reduction in tho price of manure. More manure meant more butter-fat, more wool, more mutton, etc. It was bettor to keep tho present occupiers on their land than to break up fresh land. Mr Campbell moved a hearty vote of thanks to the members of the deputation, Messrs Wood, Meßreen and O’Hagan, for their representations to the Minister on behalf of the farmers generally. This was seconded by Mr Saunders and carried by acclamation.