Farmers Speak Up For Catchment Board

Chronicle (Levin), 21 July 1949, Page 8

Farmers Speak Up For Catchment Board

Press Association)

(Per

MASTERTON, July 20. _ At a meeting in Masterton today of the Wairarapa provincial hill country comrnittee of Eederated Farmers, Mr. Jam.es Andrew, ehairman of the- North Island hill country comuiittee, said he did not see that hill country men ha^J anything to gain by becomiug involved . in the welter of .controversy that Inust follow the commission's recommendations concerning catchment boards. - They had to thank the Soil Conserva- . tion Gouncil for flnancing the recent successful aerial topdressing experiments and the Waii'arapa Catchment Board for producing and iinancing the. blower for hill topdressing. HiE country farmers had no wish to quarrel with these boards whieh were just ; getting on their feet and beginning +o show results. Mr. Andrew said the eost of the fertiliser reeommended by the Eoyal Commission, was too high at £S 10s a ton. It should be £6 10s as hill country men had reeommended. On marginajj, lands, the board suggested there should be more practieal farmers tirau the two out of nine reeommended. Mr. Andrew said he regarded with concern the pi-oposal-to resonstruct the Wool Board so as to beeome a Slieep Indnstrv Board. Administration and marketing functions should be kept separate.