THE IMPORTATION OP BONEDUST.

Otago Witness, Issue 2649, 21 December 1904, Page 10

THE IMPORTATION OP BONEDUST.

REASON FOR ABANDONMENT OF STERHJSING WORKS.

Sir Joseph "Ward, waited on by a representative of this paper on Friday, was good enough to explain the reason why rhe Government had decided not to proceed further with the erection of bone sterilising works at Auckland and the- Bluff.

The Minister said that strong representations were made to the Government to reconsider the erection of the two sterilising plants which it had been decided to erect at the Bluff and at Auckland. The principal reason urged was the fact that the countries exporting bonedust to New Zealand digested it before exportation. It was also strongly urged from the North Island, although he had not heard it in the South, that if" the sterilising was done a second time it robbed the bonedust of a great deal of its fertilising power , minimising its value to the settler. Besides thie, it was estimated that the cost of the bonedust to the farmer would be increased by, 20s to '30s per ton. At anyrate there would be the expense of railing it in the first instance to the sterilising depot, with the attendant cost of handling, and the loss of weight caused by the second process of sterilising. All the manure required for this district would need to go to the Bluff, and be distributed again from there at a considerable expense for railage. The department selected the Bluff as a site for the works, in the first instance, because it was considered the best distributing centre, there being a bigger area in the district to serve with imported bonedust than in Otago ; but it would still, be necessary to rail a good deal of the nianure> long distances, increasing its cost. The same remark appled to Auckland, where the other plant was to be erected. It was upon the representations of some of the very people who were strongest in urging the "establishment of the plant that the Minister of Agrioulture brought the matter up for recommendation. It was now open to question whether it would not be better to send Government officers to Australia and to India to personally supervise the sterilisation of the bonedust before shipment. There was a belief that the trouble caused by imported bonedust in the colony was due to the fact that undigested bonedust had been mixed with the sterilised material. Sir Joseph Ward also expressed the opinion that imported bonedust was necessary, and ho did not oolieve there was anything like suffioient manure to be got in the colony without importing bonedust to meet the requirements of settlers. The cost incidental to sterilising it a second time would mean that the prioe of locally manufactured manure could be increased by 20e per ton, and if the importation of bonedust wore prohibited there wmild be a corresconding increase in the cost of artificial

manures generally. The Government desired to see the prioe of manures kept down. There was a very large number of small settlers in the colony .who required to use artificial manure, and its cost to them was a great consideration. There must be a desire on the part of the settlers to get bonedust, or it would not be so much in request. Everyone was naturally desirous of preventing anything in the shape of disease being brought to the colony, but the real point to consider was whether it could not be done effectively by Government officers going out to the countries exporting bonedust and supervising the sterilisation of it. This could be done at a minimum of cost to the colony, and the salaries and expenses of half a dozen of these men would only amount to a few thousands a year. But if the sterilisation of bonedust had to be done in the colony it meant an added cost to the users of it to the extent of at least £25,000 a year, not to speak of the: increased cost of manures in general. The object of the Government would be to try and ensure the importation of pure bonedust without imposing a ruinous cost of the material on the settlers, and he hoped the proposal he had suggested would achieve that objeot.