THE STATE AND THE FARMER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 874, 21 July 1910, Page 8

THE STATE AND THE FARMER.

MINISTEKS ANSWER QUESTIONS.

! In answer., to • questions : by members ij-esterduy; the ..following'matters-.of interesr,ti>:'farmers'.were dealt 'with by the Ministers' responsible •; ,BA(IK-BLOCKS TELEPHONES.' The Postal Department is opposed to selling telephones or l any.other materials to outlying settlers nt half-price for .private telephone .lines. . ADVANCES: TO SETTLERS. In reply to Mr. Okey > (Taranaki) 'the Prime Minister stated in the House yesterday that; advances under the Adyances to Settlers Act arc still-limited to'.',£soo. It is hoped that the board will ( soon be ,in 'a position to make advances above that amount. . The Advances to Settlers Act is to bo amended to allow borrowers to obtain by progress payments loans, as improvements proceed, as.provided,"under the Advances to Workers Act. ' The' Prime Minister cannot see his way, 'at.the request of llr. llogan (WanganuiJ, to alter the system of examining applicants for land." ■'' SI'ATE HOLSTEIN' HEED. The Minister stated yesterday, in replyto a question that the Government has .purchased Jersey and Holstein cattle in this country,-and is-.arranging .to bring out from the Old World fresh Jersey and Holstein strains, of reliable .milking quality. When the herds increase, it is in-, tended to give small "farmers an opportunity of securing at as reasonable a price as possible the progeny of the herds that are being, established. MARGARINE. The question of the desirability of passing legislation to stop the competition between butter and margarine by insisting that margarine shall be of a different colour, has been before the Home Government for many, years. As it is very desirable that, .margarine should be of different colour from bnttcr, the New. ' Zealand Government has already made representations on the subject.