A. AND P. NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3889, 25 September 1928, Page 23

A. AND P. NEWS.

A point of considerable interest to employers has been raised by the Legal Committee of the Lancashire branch of the National Farmers’ Union, England. It touches upon the liability of employers when they lend the services of a worker to a third party. It appears that the original employer remains responsible under the Workmen’s Compensation Act, but the question at issue is how far an insurance policy covers the risk, particularly if the man is employed on work dissimilar to his ordinary employment. The branch intends to fight in the courts the case of a member whose insurance company denies responsibility for an agricultural worker injured when lent as a beater to a shooting party. In a test case, the Dominion Mercantile Agency, Ltd., and the Wellington Creameries, Cheese, and Butter Factories Employees’ Industrial Union of Workers a~-'-inst Frederick James Webber, first assistant of the Pahiatua Dairy Company, the magistrate, Mr J. Miller, to-day gave his written judgment. The plaintiff clai ed 255, the amount of subscription due to the union. Judgment was entered for the plaintiff for the amount claimed, with costs. A record pay-out for a small factory Was achieved by the Woodend Dairy Factory, a 70-ton gaetory (says the Waikato Times), during the last season when the total pay-out reached 20£d. The country along the main east coast road is looking in fine heart at present

(says the Poverty Bay Herald). Lambing is practically through and this week docking should be general. Farmers report a fine lambing and the lambs are exceptionally good. The heavy losses of ewes which have occurred around Gisborne and Wairoa have not been experienced in the Matakaoa County. Prospects for the dairying season in the Wanganui district are bright, the early portion having proved even better than the opening months of last year (says the Waikato Times>. The Okoia Company’s output for August shows an increase of 25 per cent, as compared with the corresponding month of 1927. The advance to suppliers for last, mondi was a t <( th e rate of Is 7d a lb butter-fat. I have my doubts whether the packing that comes with goods into this Dominion is sufficiently sterilised,” said Mr E.-Marfell when discussing foot-and-mouth disease before the North Taranaki proyincial executive of the Farmers’ Union in New Plymouth. There would be no harm in keeping the Government up to the mark concerning the matter, he considered. All straw, packing was supposed to be burned, but he did not think this was always done. Mr S. Vickers quoted instances where imported straw had been l b’ing about. “And yet we are told there is no danger,” he commented (says an exchange). It was decided to ask the department strictly to enforce all the regulations designed to prevent the introduction of the disease. Striking figures regarding the decline in the agricultural industry in Great Britain were contained in the latest crop and live stock returns of the Ministry of Agriculture. More land in the country is being laid down to grass. Less is under cultivation. The acreage under wheat this summer was, with only two exceptions, the lowest on record. Compared with 1927, the area under crops and permanent grass in June last was 86,000 acres less. For the first time since 1921 there was a reduction in the head of cattle. There was for the first time since 1922, a decrease in the number of sheep returned. The number of horses on agricultural holdings continues to decline.

Developments in connection with the organisation of the tomato growing industry were considered at a meeting of Auckland growers last week (says the Star). Mr S. W. House, president, said that tomato growing associations had been formed in Hawke’s Bay, Canterbury, and Hutt Valley, and there was evidence of a unity of spirit in Auckland. After a discussion it was decided to approve the principle and proceed with the formation of a Dominion tomato growers’ federation, to be linked up with the Fruitgrowers Federation, Ltd., in acordance with the recent decision of that body. The high commercial value of flax seed -T aS i revea^e< l ’ n the Supreme Court at Aucklan- during the hearing of a claim for damages by a flaxmilling company last week (says an exchange). Air Holmden, counsel for the company, stated the manager had collected 300’b of flax seed. “Pounds weight or pounds worth? ’’asked Mr Justice Reed. “Both weight and worth,” replied counsel. “It is worth £1 a lb.” He said the seed had all to be specially seletced, and could not be obtained in large quant ties from seed merchants.

Speaking to a Timaru Herald reporter, Mr J. G. Ruddenklau, a prominent North Otago wheatgrower, said that if the wheat growers did not grow sufficient wheat for the needs of the Dominion, the consumers would demand the removal of all duties so that wheat might come in from Australia and Canada, and the Government would be unable to resist the demand. With a sliding scale of duties, growers were assured of a price in the vicinity of 6s per bushel. If the duties were removed the price would be nearer 4s per bushel. Mr Ruddenklau said he considered that in their own interests all growers should join the wheat-marketing scheme, as it was designed to ensure for them the full value of their wheat at all times. If this scheme were to fall through, Mr Ruddenklau' said it would be a calamity for Canterbury and North Otago. The Owaka Co-operative Dairy Company has had another very successful year, and has made a further payment to suppliers of 2d per lb on butter-fat for the 12 months ended June 30, 1928. This further payment makes the average payout for the financial yea'r Is 4.81 d over all grades, or equivalent to Is 5.3 d for finest grade. Bitumen roads are hard on horses, and sometimes result in broken legs, according to communication received at the last meeting of the Heathcote County Council (states the Lyttelton Times). The writer, in complaining that the permanent paving from the Ferry road bridge to the Sumner boundary was dangerous for horses, said that one of his horses had broken a leg; and the writer had almost been thrown out through the horse having to step out on to the shining surface to pass motor cars standing on the side. The writer advocated that the gravel sides of the road should be made wide enough to pass cars. . If nothing were done he intended making a complaint to the Society for the Prevention df Cruelty to Animals. The council decided to attend to the stretch of road complained of. Forward delivery purchases of lambs continue to be made in North Otago. The prices given by speculators have Tanged from 26s to 32s 6d per head. The latter. price, even allowing that rape is given in, does not allow a very considerable margin for the buyer, who has to take the whole of the risk of the season Speaking at the meeting of the Farmers’ Union in Oamaru on Friday, Mr J. B. Chapman, of Lower Waitaki, said he knew of a number of farmers who had left the South Island.for .the nort 1, in recent years, who had been absolutely ruined. They had purchased land through agents at high prices, and had made no allowance for the necessity for using fertilisers. Land that could be purchased in the South Island for £2O and £3O per acre was of as good quality as land bringing double the price in the North Island, and it required no top-dressing for years. Mr Chapman expressed the firm conviction that the high prfees of land in the North Island were due to the operations

of the land agents, many of whom had interests in the farms. Fruitgrowers of the Dominion are on the trail of the fruit, fly, and are anxious to find out where it is operating (reports an exchange). The Canterbury Stone Fruit and Tomato Growers’ Association will discuss the matter shortly, as the result of having received a communication from the Auckland Association asking whether any fruit fly has been found in any of the fruit from the Islands and whether any fruit has been condemned on that score at the Islands. According to a Canterbury settler, the tanner spends a good proportion of his time filling in returns for' 1 the Governmerit Statistician (reports an exchange). At a meeting of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association last week, Mr J. Deans said that farmers had lately been asked to supply a schedule of wages paid to labourers. “It is too much to tinnk that farmers can be filling in these ™ s . all time,” said Mr Deans, this information is already supplied in another return, so why duplicate it? First we have sheep returns, then wheat returns, land returns, and if we are luckv enough to have anything left after that we have to supply income tax returns.” the association decided to register its objection to the new return suggested. A new source of potato supplies has apparently been discovered, Te Mahia Bay, Marlborough, sending to Wellington last week several tons of new potatoes which realised £2B a ton at auction. Hitherto most of supplies of early potatoes have come from the Auckland district, but it appears evident (says the Evening Post) that the Sounds district is going to be an active competitor for the Wellington market in the future. Several parts of the Marlborough Sounds district are growing other early vegetables, and it is probable that a steady trade will be maintained in this direction, particularly in the early part of the season. Te Mahia Bay has hitherto been considered mbre of a tourist resort than anything else.