TOBACCO CROPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20472, 25 January 1930, Page 19

TOBACCO CROPS.

HARDSHIP ON MAORIS,

PLANTATIONS AT ROTORUA. "Rotorua Resident" writes >T-"The case of the Rotorua tobacco-growers is to bo deplored, and I think it is time that somQ he]j) and guidance be given them, otherwise an industry which has been tried and might have proved highly successful will die right out,

" Last season the Government sent a man to Rotorua to instruct and encourage the natives to take up tobacco growing, and prove the suitability of their district. They, the Maoris,to give them their due, accepted this expert's word and advice, and grew excellent crops of tobacco. The expert produced papers alleging that they must get at least 2s 3d per lb. for their leaf, and assured the Maoris personally that they would get from 2s 6d to 3s 6d per lb. Ho also assured them that the Wills Tobacco Company would buy all the leaf they could produce. In consequence of all these assurances as to selling of the crop, and also that their climate and soil were highly suitable for growing the best class of tobacco, and, in fact, that they could not go wrong, the Maoris sailed right in and produced many acres of excellent tobacco. They also built two flue kilns, two drying sheds, seed-raising sheds and planti and sunk large sums of money on these buildings, getting themselves into debt and mortgaging their lands to do same. " The Government expert then blows along and tells the Maoris (after their tobacco was cured) that agents here are not buying their tobacco, no reasons being given. The Maoris then have to go on their knees to the National Tobacco Company, who buy it as a matter of grace, telling the Maoris not to grow it again, or to bo led away by theso bad white men (loaned by the Government). The National Tobacco Company pay the Maoris for some very excellent leaf from 4d to Is 9d per lb., and tell them they will not buy any more, because it is not thq right material. This talo may go down with the Maori, but I have seen many lots of tobacco grown in Australia and Africa, and can assure? you that this Rotorua tobacco will compare very favourable? with any grown in those countries. No doubt, this Maori tobacco will be manufactured and sold to us later on for 9d per ounce. No; the truth is that the. Government is not game to go on with the industry, because the customs department collects about 3s 6d to 5s a lb. in customs duties, with no work entailed. Those firms buying or manufacturing New Zealand tobacco have got a good thing on, and must discourage every effort of other people to come in on the tobacco industry. (Theyt may be wanting to manufacture next.) Therefore, the industry is to bo damned. I would like to know if anything is being done re buy* ing the coming year's crop, or are the poor growers to have their legs pulled further, so as to damn the industry for all time."