BARLEY & HOPS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2204, 17 July 1914, Page 3

BARLEY & HOPS

IP PROHIBITION IS CARRIED GROWERS' POINT OR VIEW Hop and barley growers in Nelson and Marlborough, fearful as to the effect the carrying of National Prohibition will have ,on those branches of fanning, which they find most. profitable. interviewed the Prime Minister yesterday morning about the Licensing Bill now before Parliament, The deputation was introduced by Mr. A. H Atmoro and Mr. R. M'Callum. The Hon. R.. vM'lvenzie, who is indisposed, was unable to be present. Mr. J. J. Corry, Mayor of Blenheim, and a barley grower, said that the average value of the barley crop in his district alone was £85,000 per annum. Roughly speaking, the average area under barley every year was 10,000 acres, and a very reasonable estimato of the value, of that land was £300,000. It was not correct to say that tKe land now producing barley could just- as easily be used to grow any other product, for the Jand was not so suitable for growing anything else, and under any other crop tho land would not yield anything like'so great a return. Besides this, the barley industry gave employment to a great deal of labour, and tho aijiount paid, in wages directly on account of the industry' must lie about £100,000. If Prohibition were carried the district would be under a great hardship, and lie urged that the majority required to carry National Prohibition - ought not to be reduced. _Mr. Ivo Tunnicliffe, president of the Nelson Farmers' Union, put in a strong plea against ;any reduction in the majority, speaking on behalf of the hopKrowers of the country. He read several resolutions of protest from'his district, and presented a petition from the " o l>-growers, asking for assistance, aiid protection to their industry threatemkl by any reduction in the majority basis on the licensing question. ,It was signed by 220 hop-growers, representing an area l of over' a,thousand acres :of hop gardens. The' production of hops amounted to 4500 bales, of a value of £80,000. ; About . £45,000 worth was used in Ndw Zealand; the remainder was sent away to Australia. ' The cost ,of picking was £12,000, whinh was dis- : tnbuted over the whole of the district. ; The hop-groivors were quite prepared to ;stand-by-the three-fifths majority. Mr. E. H: Owen, speaking , for Rii\vaka, said that;, the hop industry was ! the, mainstay of tho district. 75' out of :125 holdings being devoted .to hops, Iwith areas from one to ten acres in [extent. The number of pickers last : harvest was 1127, and the amount distributed in cash £50(|0.. The amount ;of money represented by the bare lands devoted to; hops was £6000. Other speakers were: Messrs. H. D. Vavasour, J. G. .Armstrong, TV. L. Palmer, and 11. Rumbold. .The Prime Minister said he was very glad to hiear the views ! of tho deputation, and he. wished to say that he thought they were fully justified in looking;after_ their own interests. It was quite-evident from what they had said that'the. hop and barley-growing industries in .the i provinces of Nelson and Marlborough were/very important, and well worth. JoflKiljg-' after. As a farmer himself, ,'h'j! was quite able to look at- the question' from' a farmer's point of view.- Everything, would liavo to be considered' when the Bill ; was before Parliament. The second reading would be moved in the course of fi. very ' few days, 'and tho statements they had made would, ho believed, havo consideration when lie placed them before Parliament, as ho intended: to do. That' was'all he could pay at the moment.. The whole matter rested with Parliament, and lie was not abje even to predict the fate of the Bill. He ■had hefln assured by Jiiembers. of the Prohibition Party that the Bill would pass its second reading easily, and by others' that the Bill had 110 "chance of passing. x From all that he had heard, he had come to the conclusion that the > division would -bo very close indeed. He would have much pleasure in conveying to his colleagues and ,to the' 'House all that had been said by the deputation. ■