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WHEAT-GROWING

A WAIBARAPA COMPLAINT

DIFFICULTY OF SECURING SEED Vvi' !6 | l ntatio r n, "PTesentinj the. Wheat pfT^f m of the Wairarapa Efficiency Board-of. Trn&tees, waited upon the VrHf 61 «t Agriculture. (Hon. W. D. f>. MacDonaJd) on Saturday morning in OTder_+o represent to him the difficulty ©tpenenced by wheat-growers in peourof seed-wheat. The mem*?rs of the deputation were:-Messrs. H. Jiyans (Masterton), A. MTonald {Mas■terton), H. DonaJd- (Feathereton), D. MGregor (\tasterton), nnd H. Morrieon CUsstarton), Th« committee had pr«pareo. the following statement for tho Mpister:- -. ' '1. In -consideration of a. Ftatemenf. TOade by the Hon. W. D. f>. Mac-Donald -in his Masterton,address, namely, that ■farmers could be supplied with seedwheat and manure provided the application. foT same was supported by a recomtaendation from the Efficiency Board of 'Trustees and that the name quantity ■■Mid quality as supplied would bo returned to the Government by the applicant, 'fl Wheat Committee was set up and a canvass was immediately commenced in the V?airarapa, with tho result that the committee obtained! promises from a number.of-farraers to grow wheat on the sbove conditions. "2. An order for seed-wheat was sent 4o the Department of Agriculture, on April 16. On April 27 a reply to this was received stating that the Department would, a few days later, be advertising a statement of (he: assistance 'it was prepared to afford to wheatgrowers in the master of obtaining seed. :A iveek later tho , advertisement appeared, p-ntting- quite a different aspect on tho.' "matter, and placing the Wheat. Committee in a very awkward position, hs they had been relying on the statement made by the Hon. the Minister of Agriculture, but according to tho advertisement they had been making wrong statements to the farmers, who in turn were greatly annoyed at boing kept waiting for seed-wheat from the Government.

'3. On May .1 a form of 'Application regarding seed-wheat and/or manure' was received: also a form of 'Notice to wheatgrowers." On request a supply of these 'I'e.re duly received. : ■'

. "i. The order that had' been sent down on April IB was repeated on May 21 on the official form. A reply to this was received on -June 12 statine'that the Government farms have no White Tusran. seed, but that sant could be proenred from Montgomery and Co., Christchurch. ■ ■ ■ . -

. _ .5. ,t'e have had numerous applications for seed-wheat to bo snpplied by • ; he Government, but have withheld sam'n intfl a. definite answer was received in Tecrard to the aforesaid- application (wtiiol took from April 16 lo June 12). "6. Another question which tho Wheat Lommitteo has been unable to solve is the price of seed-wheat.'

On May .23 wo advised the Department of Agriculture that local merchants were charging Bs. 6d. per bushel for Tusrun wheat, and asked for the Government pnoe of seme. On June 2 a letter was received, from the Board of Trade stating, that -undressed «eed- wheat could 1,0 fold at a price not exceeding M. above xho gazetted maximum, and dressed seed wheat at a price not exceeding Is. above 'the igazotled maximum. ;.. ■ "This does not make us any further ahead, and does not alter the fact that local merchants aro still charging the above price. ■ "7._TV'o maintain that tho present system is unsatisfactory to intending wheatgrowers, and is not workable. It will neither give satisfaction to tho Government nor to the farmer."

Air. Morrison eaid that the committee had canvassed tho. Wairarapa district in order: to ascortaiu what land would be advisable for the growing of wheat. It bad found the farmers sympathetic, and had obtained promises that about 1300.acres in all would bo sown. But the farmers had since found that they couJd not get the seed wheat that they needed; and there was danger that "'the laid would bo put to other uses. Tho farmers had applied to tho Department of Agriculture for wheat, but small supplies were secured only after much delay. It appeared , that the orders for seed wheat had to pass through the hands of' eereral Departments, and tho growers could- not.wait for , the leisurely 'official processes. ... . ■■

Mr. Evans said tliat a certain amount of seed wheat was available in Christchurch at (is. 9d; per bushel, but there was much delay in obtaining it. The price in Masterßn was*&9. Gd. p«r bushel. The fanners, were quite ready to growth e wheat under tho conditions already indicated by tho Government if seed were placed within their reach quickly and at a reasonable price, but they could not wait indefinitely. i The Minister >aid that he realised the importance of "the matter. The Government had experienced difficulty, at every stago of its operations in connection with wheat, and there seemed to be an impression in some quarters that it could do,no right. He would communicate with his officers at once with a view,to making it possible for growers to send their orders for seed wheat direct to the Fields Supervisor in Cbristchtirch. The Minister thanked the W'airarapa Committee for the efforts it. had made to,'secure the gnlwing of an increased area of wheat i? tho district. '■ ,

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19170618.2.84

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3113, 18 June 1917, Page 7

Word count
Tapeke kupu
845

WHEAT-GROWING Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3113, 18 June 1917, Page 7

WHEAT-GROWING Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3113, 18 June 1917, Page 7

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