COCKSFOOT SEED.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19178, 8 December 1927, Page 9

COCKSFOOT SEED.

PROHIBITION OF IMPORTS.

A POLITICAL BARGAIN,

Further discussion regarding the desirableness of prohibiting the importation of cocksfoot seed arose at yesterday's meeting of the General Committee of the Canterbury A. and P, Association.

The Hon. Mr Downie Stewart, Minister for Customs, replying to tho Association's letter on the subject, wrote: — "The question of imposing a duty on this seed was very fully gone into at the time of tho revision of the tariff, but it was decided that such action could not bo taken.

"With respect to the question of prohibiting the importation of Danish cocksfoot seed, legislation has just boen introduced into Parliament to prohibit, save with the consent of the Hon. tho Minister for Agriculture, the importation of cocksfoot seed unless it has been treated in manner prescribed so as to render it distinguishable from seed of the samo kind not so treated. "I assume that this is tho action which your Association desires, and not the prohibition of the importation of all Danish cocksfoot seed." Total Prohibition Wanted. Mr J. D. Hall said that it appeared from tho Minister's letter that it was assumed that what was wanted was that the imported seed should bo coloured; but that was not corroct.. The idea was not to colour tho seed, but to prohibit its importation. One reason for this was that Denmark was rotten with foot-and-mouth disease. He did not know if the germ of the disease could be convoyed by cocksfoot seed.

A member said that there was no danger if the seed was disinfected. Mr Hall said that tho main thing was to encourage the growing of sufficient seed on the Poninsula for the needs of the Dominion, and this was not likely to be done while the possibility of importations of seed was hanging over the growers' heads. Mr D. W. Westenra said, as representing the Association on the Board of Agriculture, he had fought very Hard to have importations of cocksfoot prohibited, but he had been met with the statement that tho Department would take some steps in the matter. The Political Aspect. Mr 11. S. S. Kyle, M.P., said that he might be able to throw some light on tho matter. The question of prohibition of the importation of cocksfoot seed had been very strongly pressed by the Canterbury members of Parliament during the revision of the Customs tariff on both the Minister for Agriculture aud the Minister for Amongst the arguments brought forward was the statement that by experiments at Lincoln College, Dr. Hilgendorf had proved that New Zealand cocksfoot is much better than Danish, They had tried to get both Ministers to agreo to total prohibition, but did not succeed, as they had the Nortli Island members to contend with. If tho South Island members had persisted in respect of cocksfoot they would not have got the duty on wheat. The member for Waitomo had gone into the question thoroughly with the Canterbury members to see if he could not get the North Island country members to agree, but unfortunately they were not able to get them tc» come to a unanimous decision. The Canterbury members found it better, for the present at all events, to sacrifice the cocksr foot question in order to get what was absolutely essential in respect of wheat. His hearers had noted, no doubt, that a barrage had been put up against the duty on lemons. If they had not put up that fight the North Island members would have turned down tho wheat duty. The sliam fight against lemons got them a bit afraid, and they suggested that if the Canterbury members supported the lemon duty they would let the wheat go through. "We have a lot of things to contend against," Mr Kyle added, "especially this North versus South." The Minister recognised that the New Zealand-grown seed was the best. Mr Hall had raised the question of foot-and-mouth disease, but that had not been brought into the picture in the discussion at Wellington. The merchants had come and said that they had a considerable amount of seed on order. If the Peninsula people could show that they could raise enough seed for the Dominion, he believed that the prohibition of importations wotild come in time.

Mr J. 0. Coop remarked that many people did not know that the. Danish cocksfoot was an annual.

Mr Kyle: We used all those arguments.

Mr Coop said that the Danish cocksfoot ran up and finished as a weed, while the New Zealand cocksfQot was perennial. The chairman (Mr E. Hay): They will know the difference between the two kinds when the Minister's instructions are carried out.

Mr Coop said some people were not aware of the difference, and the sowing of large areas in the' North Island with Danish seed was a waste of time and money, and accounted for a great deal of the deteriorated lands in the North Island.

Mr W. H. Nicholson moved: "That the Minister for Customs.be thanked for his eourteous attention to the matter, but the Association is disappointed that the Department has not been able to see its way clear to prohibit the importation of cocksfoot seed." This was duly seconded, and was agreed to.