A PROTEST

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 192, 29 July 1940, Page 5

A PROTEST

GOVERNMENT AND PRIMARY PRODUCTION COUNCILS WHAT COULD BE DONE "When Avar broke out we had , great hopes that the Production Council set up by the Government would do great work, but the result has been disappointing,'" said Mr F. W. Doidge, M.P., during a speech in the House. "In the Bay of Plenty," continued Mr Doidge, "a tine body of men i;iccepted the invitation of the Govern ment to become members of the Production Council, and a wealth of practical suggestions was the out come. What happened? The summer went. Autumn passed. Now we are on the eve of a new season.- The record is one of opportunities missj ed by the Government. If the recommendations made by the Production Councils had been imrstied, what a different story there would be to tell. Plea For Fertilizers. "Wc know that the Government has made an excellent gesture and is doing the farmers a great service by fixing the price of fertilisers and helping generally in the matter of fertilisers. The Government cannot do too much in that direction, be-t cause fertilisers are to the farmers what munitions are to the soldiers. In ray district, so far as the ordinary small farms are concerned, the bulk of them are not being fertilised to the extent that they should | be, for the reason that the farmers cannot afford to do so. If the farmers could only fertilise all the land, production could be increased enormously. Similarly, a great deal more could be done there in maize pro- 1 duct ion. The Bay of Plenty area is an ideal one for that; and I am sure that the majority of the dairy farmers would be only too glad to devote, say, five or six acres to maize growing. Of course, the great trouble about maize growing is that the area has to be scarified at certain periods. If means could be devised to provide working squacls undei superintendence, I am sure that we would get remarkable results in maize growing in the Bay of Plenty district. I suggest working squads for the reason that people engaged in dairying cannot always divert their attention to maize growing at the time when it is necessary to scarify.