CANTERBURY MERCHANTS' VIEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2845, 23 September 1908, Page 11

CANTERBURY MERCHANTS' VIEWS.

CHRISTOHTJRCH, September 15. Local seed merchants speak guardedly in regard to the Agricultural Produce Sale and Importation Bill, and state that they know Jittle of the measure, but they agree that some of the seed sold in New Zealand "is dirty" and infested with weeds. A number of them stated that imported seeds were generally fairly free from weeds. Mr C. H. Hewlett, of thd Canterbury Seed Company, said that a lot of seed containing impurities came to New- Zealand, and the importers had to clean it, but some 'of the local seed was very bad. The Can- • terbury farmers were worse than the North ' Island farmers. They purchased quantities of seed from their neighbours and used' it without its having been cleaned at all. The farmers should be the very people to sow the best seed, but they frequently took very poor stuff. The machinery in "" Canterbury was of the most up-to-date (pattern, and the cleaning should be good. Mr J. F. Wachsmann, another 6eed merchant, said he thought the bill should aim ■more at local seeds than at (imported seeds, which were very clean, being machine dressed and purchased by the im(portera after the approval of a sample. If the bulk did- not come up to the sample the importers Tefused it. The.» had to import seeds to meet the demands of the (farmers after a short season. The idea of Snaking the cleaning of seed compulsory was a good one, but he would not like to say anything further until he knew on what lines the bill hadj been drawn. Mr R. A. Joseph, another merchant, also 6tated that he would like to read the bill before giving any lengthy opinion on it. ■Imported seeds were usually very clean, according to the price. He thought that the Government should take drastio 6teps against the sale of colonial seeds that were mot clean. The selling of seed containing weeds did great mischief, and certainly the Government should 6ee that the people selling seed with Californian thistle in ib should be made responsible for their mie- i deeds. He would be quite willing to forward his views to Messrs ShirtcTiffe and Miles if .he knew what the v bill meant. They .might be advocating quite a different measure from one that he would favour.

CHRISTCHURCH DEPUTATION.

CHRISTCHURCH, September 16. A meeting of grain and seed merchants £ras held this morning to discuss the provisions of the Agricultural Produce Importation Bill. It was decided that Messrs J.B. M'Laren and C. H. Hewlett proceed to Wellington and represent the views of th« Christchurch merchants on the measure to the Minister of Agriculture. The Agricultural Produce Sale and Importation Bill was severely criticised at the meeting of -the North Canteibury Farmers' Union Executive to-day. Mr G. W. Leadley said the bill* had been wrought down before the House in a hurry ■without a copy of it being previously sent to the union. There was no doubt that the bill had principally to do with the Californian thistle. He would like to remind members that any man who bought seed" or chaff generally bought it on sample, and if it were not up to sample he could refuse to take delivery of it. The seed -merchants, he said, had a pretty tough job before them. How could they guarantee that there "was no Californian thistle in the consignments of chaff? They would have to submit to an army of inspectors, which, he contended, was ridiculous. He was not advocating the sale of weeds, but this bill would strike a blow at the whole of the indiustry. The trouble was that some men drove their teams through the country and bought anything. The bill had been framed, he maintained, simply because one consignment of chaff shipped to Taranaki (which the Government had obtained posse.-sion of) had contained a good deal of Californian thistle. They should certainly protest against the bill in its present form. _Mr T. B. HoTCon said the cage mentioned was not a solitary one. Anyone who travelled in the south — round about Taieri, for instance — would form the opinion that the seed was not clean^

Mr H. Paterson said he thought the Government should be supported in the action it had taken. Mr D. Jones (chairman) remarked that a case had been brought under his notice in which over 100,000 acres in Southland would be absolutely blocked from growing any gTain. This would mean a eerious loss to the Dominion. ' The bill had been brought down in great haste, and no opinion from the farmers had been obtained on it. This showed that the Government did not recognise its responsibility, nor how far-reaching the bill would be. He thought the Government should drop it for the meantime, and bring it up again next session. Mr Leadley submitted that' there was already sufficient - protection agairst the Californian thistle in the Noxious Weeds Act and the Seed Warranty Act. Mr Jones then moveel — " That the Government be_ asked to. defer the passing of the Agricultural Produce Sale and Importation Bill until next session, so that farmers and merchants may have an opportunity of placing their views fully before the committee of the House before such a far-reaching law is passed. " The motion was seconded by llr Leadley, and carried without dissent".

AUCKLAND MERCHANTS' VIEWS. AUCKLAND, September 16. "We want purity .in our se^dis," said a prominent Auckland seed merchant, speaking to a Herald representative to-day regarding the Agricultural Produce " Sale and Importation Bill, " and for that reason we want even a more comprehensive measure — one that will absolutely prevent the adulteration which is carried on by certain unscrupulous hou&es." Another gentleman, who is connected with one of the largest seed supply firms in the city, said he was entirely in sympathy with the bill. "As far as I can see," he 6aid, "no honest trader can be harmed or put to any expense through it, and it will do away with the unfair amount of competition the reputable merchants are subjected to throi^h the sale of cheap, dirty seeti supplied by firms who have not much regard for their good name. Another aspect of the question wars put to a third seed vendor by the reporter, who asked if it were true that rubbish extracted from good seed was being sent to the North Island from Canterbury. "There is no doubt," he said, "that "a great deal of rubbish is being sent up here by some southern merchants to fill the constant demand for seed, and tbs farmers will not have anything else for certain purposes. Weeds are spreadi through being introduced in the chaff which comes ,up from the South Island."