MANURE RATIONING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 174, 31 October 1941, Page 2

MANURE RATIONING

INEQUALITIES ALLEGED

POOR COUNTRY SETTLERS

SUFFER MOST

Considerable dissatisfaction exists among farmers at the method in which the rationing scheme for fertilisers is being carried out. At the September meeting of the Auckland Farmers' Union strong complaints were voiced, speakers stressing' the special hardship caused to those occupying hilly and other poor country compared with farmers on rich land. At this week's meeting the subject was again prominent, remits having come forward from several sub-provinces expressing the view that a change was necessary;, and also that blood and bone and bone dust should be placed on the same footing as super. In the Executive's "discussion M> Heath Mason expressed the view that the method of allocation was most inequitable. Settlers on poor country were getting the worst of it. Mr Strugnell said it appeared that the Government had no set policy. He knew of some farmers who had been able to get relief. Mr Cox considered that more local committees were wanted. The appeal committees were too far away from settlers. j Mr Mellsop considered the system

was as good as could be expected considering the short time given to its introduction. Farmers on rich land had to carry more stock, and were thus equally liable to proportionate loss. A remit from the Northern and Southern King Country was carried, the object being: To provide a lower limit of, say, lewt per acre so that all farmers should be guaranteed this amount; To provide an upper limit iu order to prevent allocations being unreasonably large;

To provide a considerable surplus for allocation to cases of hardship—the powers of the manure rationing committees to be widened to administer this.

The basic object of the proposal, it was explained, was to prevent deterioration of land as the result of insufficient manuring, which represents a capital loss to farmers. This, it was pointed out, affects secondclass land in hilly country particularly, and represents a national as well as an individual loss.