MR. GORDON, M.P., RETURNS CONVINCED RANGITIKEIIS A FARMER'S PARADISE

Wanganui Chronicle, 29 April 1950, Page 3

MR. GORDON, M.P., RETURNS CONVINCED RANGITIKEIIS A FARMER'S PARADISE

After a six weeks' continuous tour through Tasmania, Victoria and Southern New South Wales, Mr. E. B. Gordon, M.P. lor Rangitikei, has returned to New Zealand convinced that the Rangitikei, from a farming point of view, is “a farmers’ paradise with its rich agricultural land, its dairy farms, large and small, its fine pastures and well conditioned flocks.

This impression was given today to the “Chronicle” by Mr. Gordon when discussing his tour of Australia. The only land to be compared with Rangitikei was some fine country on a plateau directly above thte sea on the North Coast of Tasmania in the Burnie Wynyard district, the Riverina in Southern N.S.W. and a vast area of reclaimed land in Gippsland (Victoria), said Mr. Gordon. The last mentioned, he said, was a huge swamp drained and irrigated by an Italian engineer in 1918 and now highly productive rich, black soil in which was grown large quantities of potatoes, asparagus and pnions. On the fortnight’s tour of Tasmania Mr. Gordon covered approximately 1000 miles by Pioneer coach and over the whole journey he saw comparatively small areas of what one would call “good farm land.” Of course, in Southern Tasmania, said Mr. Gordon, the chief farming industdy was fruit growing—apple and pear orchards abound, while large areas grow hops, and small fruits (raspberries, strawberries and currants), do well.

Proceeding from Hobart to the north coast, Mr. Gordon traversed hilly country, covered with eucalyptus. En route in the Central Lake district, Mr. Gordon said the traveller saw the catchment area and the Miena dam which controlled the water level, assured a big fall for the hydro scheme, said Mr. Gordon, and Tasmania was well supplied by cheap hydro-electric power. The north coast of Tasmania was not only the best farm land, but also had numerous manufacturing industries such as the pulp and paper mills at Burnie which produced 27,000 tons of paper a year. A flight of two hours from Launceston (Tasmania) brought Mr. Gordon to' Melbourne, which he described as a modern planned city which incorpordated 29 individual cities and in one direction, at least, was electrified for 26 miles. Leaving the Hume highway for Sydney the traveller reaches the boundary between Victoria and New South Wales at the end of the first day, said' Mr. Gordon, the stops overnight being at Albury. Most noticeable in the hundreds of miles on the Hume highway, said Mr. Gordon, was the fine avenues of English trees and Austdalian gums. Canberra, the Federal capital, was the second night’s stop for Mr. Gordon. Canberra was a “planned” or “Misplanned” city comprising four individual townships. Here again, gorgeously coloured English trees abound. Sumachs (blood red), and pin-oaks (brown, orange and gold) line the streets and fill the parks. Actually, said Mr. Gordon, three million trees bad been planted in the streets and parks of Canberra. The final day’s trip on the Hume highway terminated at Sydney. The nine days spent in this city and in organised tours through outlying areas were full of interest, said Mr. Gordon. HAWKESTONE GOLF DRAW. T Tolley Button competition will be played on the Hawkestone golf links this afternoon. The draw is:—G. Denbow, D. Abed, E. Steere; N. North, E. Fogeiberg, J. Kendrick; S. Velvin, L. Smith, R. McDonald; H. Mensforth, T. Dommett, W. Tolley; R. Rhodes, K. Whitford, W. Murrow; J. Hunt, R. Sexton, J. Liddell; D. Gorrie, P. Gronn, C. Saywell; L. Say well, R. Whitehead, P. Bending; W. Anderson, L. Campbell, E. Gibbins; A. Bell, B. Grade, R. Wilson; D. McLennan, R.

Ball, A. Grade, P. Kendrick; F. Ellis, W. Aitken, J. Dingle. Last week’s Stableford bogey was won by D. McLennan with 39 points, A. Grade 37 and J. Hunt 36. END OF BUTTER RATIONING WANTED BY FARMERS A recommendation that butter rationing should be terminated In New Zealand forthwith was made at the annual meeting of the provincial dairy produce section of Wellington Central Province of Federated Farmers in Marton this week. In recalling the views expressed at a recent conference of dairy factory interests in the Manawatu, Mr J. McKean (Rangiwahia) claimed that it would definitely be in the interests of the dairy industry if butter rationing was terminated. Reasons advanced for this suggestion were that the use of margarine was increasing to the detriment, of the consumption of butter; that the United Kingdom’s consumption of fats was back to pre-war level; and that every effort should be made to build up a high consumption level of butter in New Zealand. To end butter rationing would not interfere with the United Kingdom as the fat. supply - position there had been fully restored to the 1938 figure and New Zealand should look to its internal market. Supporting this view, Mr H. M. Darragh stated that by terminating cream rationing the Government had virtually admitted that there was no longer any need to ration butter. With cream available people could readily convert it into butter, and that suggested to him that butter rationing was quite unnecsesary. He agreed that, every effort, should be made to encourage a high consumption of butter in New Zealand. The election of officers resulted:— Chairman, Mr F. C. Scott-Maundreli (Rata); vice-chairman, Mr H. M. Darrgli (Feilding); executive, Messrs N. Miller (Ohingaiti), M. Frisk (Sanson), L. D. Legg (Feilding); delegates to provincial executive, Messrs Legg and T. Bergin (Marton); delegates to Wellington District. Pig Council, Messrs A C. Birch (Marton/, 1. Eergin, B. Henderson and C. B. Anderson (Bulls); member of executive of Pig Council, jMr Scott-Maundiell.