STATE SALE OF TREES

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1930, Page 11

STATE SALE OF TREES

PRACTICE TO BE ENDED. POLICY OF GOVERNMENT. T-f H “The Farmers’ Union does not agree that the views which have been expressed by the Horticultural Society on the question of State sales of trees to private persons should carry more weight with the Government than those of the farmers,” said Mr. A. E. Robinson, Auckland provincial secretary, in continuing to protest against tht decision of the Government that th" State Forest Service should not. supply, iljeei" aXUr. ‘ . pE, the'/ ,ciir'-.' rent year, the union was actuated by a. belief that the need of the farmers, for cheap trees was more< important than protection of the interests of private nurserymen by withdrawing the State service.

A striking example of disparity between State and private prices had just been laid before the union, Mr., Robinson added, A farmer had bought 100 eucalyptus seedlings privately at a cost of £1 8s Id, whereas they .could have been obtained from . the State nurseries for 10s, or, if open-rooted. instead of in trays, for 5s 6d. The State price included railage to any station in direct railway communication with Rotorua. The private price was £1 2s 9d for the seedlings, with 2s 4d extra for boxes and packing and 3s for railage. "If the change of policy should result in any*exploitation of the public by private traders, the matter will be reviewed,” said the acting-Prime Minister, the Hon. E. A. Ransom, who is Commissioner of State Forests, replying to the union’s recent protest against the decision to cease supplying trees to farmers and others for country planting. • “The decision is in accordance with the general policy of the Government to engage as little as possible in business competition with private commercial undertakings. The whole matter was very carefully reviewed, together with the representations made by the New Zealand Horticultural Trades Association, which urged the adoption of the policy in connection with the sale of trees, and, as it is considered that this important .work can how be verywell handled by private nurserymen, after this year the State will no longer cater for this business.” The first step toward meeting the objections of private nurserymen- was taken in February, 1929, when it was announced that, as a result of negotiations between the Forestry Depaitthe Nurserymen’s Association, a price list had been agreed upon, subject to revision after one season’s experience. It was then stated that the Government realised that afforestation • so important an asset to the Dominion that every encouragement must be o-iven to those who bad opportunities of planting trees, which should be made available at reasonable prices. Tlie prices agreed upon would remove the objection of the nurserymen that the State plantations were selling, trees at less than the cost of production..-