IMPORTATION OF BULBS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 437, 20 February 1909, Page 7

IMPORTATION OF BULBS.

i ; Sirj^Sinee'■ writing you I; have wy solicitors as,.to- \vhether the' Inspector, of yjfniit Has: power to ioiuse;to allow. a, parcel of bulbs to 'land, ?if' unaccompanied by a certificate of freedom from diseaso. They havo decided that ho has .the power, and advise 1 ir,e to request , him to . fumigate. them and to pay. him sixpence, which thoy say is the. presQrjbed fee. I haye' accordingly qone. this. ! ■ ■ r ■ .

The reason Tain'lwriting to you. if thafl wish to'-press the matter, a little further., If ■ the inspector has such power, either he must refuse entranoe to all such parcels or discriminato. But olearly hfe must allow them' to land before ho oan discriminate. It seems to'me that his unconditional: statement that in future such parcels will not be allowed to land was, as I said, merely '-'bluff.''. You will find, I think, that he will have to confoss that his real moaning is that such parcels will bo allowed to land, and then cither fumigated or ■destroyed at importers' option.! To this I don't at all object. I am quite sure, that if" once he sees my bulbs, the fumigation; will be'at very harmless affair, 7 while I am most arixious that suspicious parcols should be fumigated to death: And I am quite content, to trust? the: inspector; ten tq one-ho loves bulbs, and would not hurt thorn for worlds, once ho sees and handles them. ■

■ 'Surely a great' deal 'of trouble, would-bo avoided if lie used plain English and said to importers -simply,- "'You must allow, mei'io eitlior fumigate them or. destroy theml. am, etc.. ' . ; ii WAIRIMA. February 17.