IMPORTED GRASS SEED.

Waikato Times, Volume 98, Issue 15309, 9 August 1923, Page 6

IMPORTED GRASS SEED.

IRRITATING REGULATIONS. MERCHANT'S STRONG VIEWS. The new regulations issued in theA "Gazette" providing for the gation of grass seeds imported from~ the Commonwealth of Australia were discussed with a : New Zealand Times reporter by a gentleman who is intimately connected with the seed importing and exporting business. It made compulsory in Australia (he said) a costly process of cyanide fumigation before the seed was exported, and would affect the prices of those 'seeds which had to be imported in order to meet the demand in this country. Instead of the seed coming straight from the farm to the docks and then to New Zealand, it meant that it, would have to go into store for the specified treatment and then be loaded for export, thus'adding considerably to the cost, which would have to be borne by the buyers. If the regulation only applied to the tick-infested areas, there might be some justification for it, but he fail- , ed to see why such an irritating regulation should be applied to clean areas. It was hampering and costly condition, and was calculated to strain rather than bring about those reciprocal relations- which were desired. In his opinion such a regulation as that just issued would defeat its aim, and possibly result in retaliatory measures in other directions.