COST OF FERTILISERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20868, 9 May 1931, Page 5

COST OF FERTILISERS.

ASSISTANCE FOR FARMERS.

"PRESENT SYSTEM INADEQUATE."

The opinion that the present scheme of assisting farmers to obtain artificialmanures for top-dressing purposes was inadequate was expressed yesterday'" by the executive of the Land Settlement and Development League, over svhich Mr. W. J.. Iloldsworth presided. " li'or all practical purposes the scheme is proving quite useless," said the secretary, Mr. N. G: Gribble. " I have been besi'eged by farmers who have complained, that they can do nothing under its provisions." Mr. E. W. Yates suggested that a subsidy of perhaps £1 a ton or less could be paid by the Government on artificial manures. Every 10s spent on top-diess-ing brought a return ot £5 to the ( country > he said, and £200,000 spent on such a subsidy, to the farming industry would be belter than a similar sum spent ,on having parks constructed by the unemployed. . The secretary was instructed to inform the Government that owing Ho : too stringent conditions under the Rural Credits Act, farmers were finding the present system of assistance toward obtaining fertilisers entirely inadequate, .and to suggest that the Government fihould bring , down immediately some more practical scheme.