CONDITIONS IN N.S.W.

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24897, 10 June 1946, Page 4

CONDITIONS IN N.S.W.

STATE GOVERNMENT v HELP

MINISTER VISITING DOMINION

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, June 9. Way§ in which the New South Wales Government dealt with drought and assisted farmers through the resultant crisis were outlined by the New South Wales Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. Edgar H. Graham), who arrived from Sydney by flying-boat on Saturday on a three-weeks’ visit to New Zealand. Mr Graham, who is a member of the Legislative Assembly for Wagga Wagga, has held the portfolio of agriculture since 1944. While he is in the Dominion, Mr Graham will hold discussions with the New Zealand Minister of Agriculture (the. Hon. B. Roberts) on questions of reciprocal trade in farm and vegetable seeds. He will also make an extensive tour of farming districts as far south as Timaru, accompanied by an officer of the Department of Agriculture. Discussing difficulties encountered In the drive fdr increased production in Australia, Mr Graham said that added tc the grave labour shortage had been a lack of fertiliser supplies,- vegetable seeds, and farm machinery. On top of all this had been two of the most widespread and severe droughts in the state’s history. So serious was the drought of 1944-45 that practically the whole of the wheat and cereal crops of the Riverina district, normally the greatest producer of grain, completely failed. “To assist farmers in their difficulty and to ensure their continuing in opera- 1 tion for the season, the Commonwealth and State Governments, in equal sums, made £1,000,000 available in direct cash grants,” he said. “At the same time it was found necessary (to save the dairy herds of the same area from extinction) to send 4000 head of stock many hundreds of miles by rail to the central west, where rains had fallen. This greatest mass movement of dairy stock in the history of Australia was arranged and carried out in every detail by my department and the fact that the stock was returned to its owners after three months at a total cost of 30s a head Is proof, not only of the Government’s concern in the well-being of the primary producer, but also of the efficiency of its organisation.”

In spite of drought and other disabilities, and as a result of complete cooperation between the farmers and Government, they had been able to increase food production to a remarkable degree, he added.