ALARM DEPRECATED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23851, 30 December 1940, Page 9

ALARM DEPRECATED

FARMERS ASSURED COMMISSION ACTING ALTERNATIVE SUPPLIES damage to the plant at Nauru Island is a grievous loss, hut I can snv that we have already begun to take stop;! to deal with the situation," said Sir Albert Ellis, New Zealand Government representative on the British Phosphate Commission, in an interview yesterday. "At present, it is possible to speak only in general terms, but I am in close touch with the central office of the commission in Melbourne, and 1 hope to make more specific information available before long." In anticipation of war risks, Sir Albert continued, additional stocks of rock phosphate had been built up in New Zealand since about the beginning of the present year. The material had been stored in varying quantities in the open at the fertiliser works, and had been drawn upon simultaneously with the indoor stocks. The use to be made of these extra stocks in the present emergency was naturally hound up with what the commission would do to make up for the reduction in the output from Nauru. Already Negotiating "There is no need for the farmers to 'get the wind up,' " he added. "This is just a difficulty to be overcome, and we are going to use every available means to overcome it. We are already negotiating with other sources of supply." Sir Albert said that at the time of the raider's attack there was a stock of about 60,000 tons of crushed and dried rock phosphate on Nauru. While it was impossible to he definite at this stage, he felt certain that means of I shipping it, would be found, although j the process would necessarily be slow in comparison with loading from the cantilever. Recalling that, some years ago, when all demands could not be met from Nauru and Ocean Islands, he said the commission had purchased supplies from .Makatea and Christmas I .-land, in j the Pacific, and from Florida and | Moi "OCC'O. Question of Repairs So far a- repairs to the Nauru plant wore concerned. Sir Albert said, the magnitude ol the task had yet to be : assessed. However, the commission had i on its staff men with a wealth of special ; experience that would be of the highest value. They had been tackling the greatest po.-sible difficulties, including those of pioneering, lor many rears, and he was sure that they would rise to this occasion A Press Association telegram from Wellington savs the Prime .Minister, the Kt. Hon. P. Fraser. said that he was in close touch with the Australian Government, which was responsible lor Nauru, and he was awaiting information as to the damage there. To meet such a contingency reserve supplies of rock phosphate had been built up in New Zealand with a view to limiting interference as far as possible with the supply of fertiliser to primarv products. A further statement would be made in due course.

NORTH ISLAND NEEDS

RELIEF FROM SOUTH TRANSFER UP TO 20,000 TONS [B V TF.LF.O It A I'll —Ott'N COR ft KS I'ON DF.NT] MATAMATA, Sunday Farmers are concerned about the problem of superphosphate supplies in J941. The position is already acute in the Matamata district, and representations have been made l>y Mr. I'. A\ . Doidge, M.l\. to the Minister of -Agriculture, the Hon. \Y. Lee Martin. The Minister replied to Mr. Doidge, under date December 2.'? —prior to the shelling of Nauru —as follows:- —"I have to advise that the position is as represented, namely, that the fertiliser manufacturers have already sold their entire output up to June'. 15)41. Ihe reason for this position is that, although works are operating to maximum output, the supply is not sufficient to fully meet the rush orders of the autumn period. In order to overcome this trouble farmers have repeatedly been requested where possible to put their orders in early and accept early delivery. "The difficulty, however, is a real one, and to solve it the Government has undertaken to see that up to 20,000 tons of superphosphate are transferred from the south to the North Island, thus relieving the position and allowing the manufacturers to fill orders previously rejected. "As regards the question of the transport of fertiliser in bulk, it is felt that, as bagging has to be done at, some stage before the farmer can apply fertiliser to the soil, this is best carried out where it can most effectively be done, that is, at the fertiliser works. It is also considered that on the whole bagged fertiliser results in the more efficient use of railway trucks."

LONDON COMMENT

British Wirrlfss LOXDON, Dpc. Q7 Observers in London, noting that the German forces have now added an attack on the undefended island of Nauru to their record of attacks on unarmed ships and open towns, wonder if the choice by the German raiders of Japanese colours under which to masquerade in this attack may have been prompted by the rather crude idea of creating an incident involving Japan.