STATEMENT IN HOUSE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10687, 6 September 1920, Page 4

STATEMENT IN HOUSE

the present position, cheap manure Ifor farmers On Saturday‘the Prime Minister was asked by Mr T. M. Wilford for a statement regarding the present position of the Nauru phosphates business. The Prime Minister staled,in the House of Representatives, .that both Nauru and Ocean Islands had been taken over by the three Governments of Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. The cost was £3,600,000, which included plant, compensation to and all items. New Zealand’s share was £560,000, and the other Governments, had to find one and a half million each. As to. the share of the phosphates, New Zealanfi-would obtain all the country required, and more. Originally the Dominion’s share was 16 per cent, of one island, but now it was 16 per cent, of the two. They hoped to have a shipment, of phosphates at the end of , this month. Crushing plants were being erected or extended in Auckland, .Canterbury, Otago, and Taranaki. Jt would be a year or two before there would be sufficient plant to meet requirements; but if private enterprise did not meet the need the Government would step in. He did not want to raise false, hopes, but the New Zealand representative on the Commission of Control had said that, ho hoped to reduce the price of phosphates by 30s a ton on , the'present charges. Nothing definite had been done with regard to distribution, though the Government had several offers to undertake the work at a low percentage. If there • were any difficulty, the proper thing to do would be for the farmers ■to erect their own crushing plants, and ho would back them financially. In reply to Mr.H. Poland, the Prime Minister said that a shipment of phosphates was now on the way to. New Zealand. It would go to the work* at Onehunga. Mr Maaiey went on to say that there were the sulphur supplies in New Zealand for the treatment of the phosphate rock. As a matter of fact, the Government some time ago had purchased the sulphur areas in the north in anticipation of the present necessities. Shipping companies had already offered ships for the transport of the cargoes. Ho wished to impress upon the. House that the Government would control the disposal of the manure until it reached the farmers who used it. It was decided to leave final discussion of this matter until the Nauru Island class was reached on the Estimates.