LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24761, 8 December 1943, Page 2

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Theatre for Bennydale Sir, —I wish to protest sharply against the pillaging of public funds to the extent of £IO,OOO for the erection of a complete theatre and public hall for the Bennvdale mine township. This district is already well served by a Mangapeehi theatre ' which screens three times weekly; and a feeder bus service which operates when required for the benefit of the 20 to 30 regular mine patrons. Is this another item on the War [Estimates Account or just a pill for national savings? Disgusted National Savings. Human Need Comes First Sir, —When recently 1 signed myself "Contented Mother" I did not mean I am content with the existing conditions. 1 am content to manage my own and my children's holidays, not letting the Government have a finger in that pie also. The difficulties of our day have been creeping upon us unawares and now we must pay the piper until we, as a nation, realise, as quoted by L. Shaw Butler, "Human need comes before human greed." Human need is both spiritual and material. Putaruru. Mother of Sons. Farm Production Sir, —In reply to " Matamata Farmer," I suppose he is one of the few lucky ones that still get 3 to 4cwt. of fertiliser an acre, and on a farm that has been fanned for years. If he had only light pumice land in the process of being brought in and only about Jcwt. of serpentine super an aero lie might tell a different tale. "Matamata Farmer" would do a great service to this country if he would tell those less fortunate than himself how to keep up production with insufficient fertiliser. My herd is reduced this year and T see nothing ahead but to reduce still further next year, and I am by no means overstocked. With fertiliser and labour my herd would increase. not decrease.

PuTATUTItTJ Fatcmek. Substitute Commodities Sir, —In his interesting address on "Agricultural Prospects in Now Zealand," Mr. E. Earle Vaile deplored the Government's policy of rewarding failures. I agree with him that there are serious threats to the future of the primary industry. First, there is _ the steady downward trend of the birthrate during the past generation, whereby there will be less young persons available to work the farms, irrespective of war casualties that will still further deplete their numbers. Secondly there is the threat to the wool industry, due to the great strides made in the manufacture, from coal, air and water as raw materials, of nylon and also of glass fabrics. These will be much cheaper than woollens. Thirdly, there is the threat of the mass production, by the fermentation of molasses, mixed with ammonia and air, of yeast proteins, that are twice as rich as meat, made in a variety of flavours, and at only one-fifth the cost of meat. What are our New Zealand scientists doing in these matters? Thomas A. F. Stone. Cream Grading Sir, —By the aid of a "simple calculation" Mr. A. P. Lee disposes of the question of cream grading. He avoids the issue completely by presenting to us a final payment based entirely on factory grading; completely ignoring the fact that the final payment is made on the guaranteed price basis, i.e., on the grading of the finished product, butter, in which the Government grader is the sole judge. Mr. Lee. as a prudent factory manager would not, I am sure, permit his cream graders to allow the supplier a higher percentage of superfine cream than he could produce superfine butter, as that would mean a reduced bonus. Therefore cream grading is controlled to a very great extent by the final grading of the butter. Farmers, are complaining of the severity of the cream grading this season and frequently state that it is the Government's method of offsetting, at least partially, the increase in price granted this season. Mr. Lee might therefore state the percentage of superfine butter graded this season as compared with the previous two or three seasons. Te Aroua-Tjtamt.s Valley Supplier.