Voice of the Farmers.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 182, 9 August 1901, Page 1

Voice of the Farmers.

VARIOUS GRIEVANCES,

By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, last night. A deputation of Wellington district farmers and others waited on the Premier yesterday and urged various grievances in their industries. Among other things, they urged the compulsory grading of Hax. The Premier, in reply, undertook to represent this matter to the Cabinet. He said the Government were practically subsidising the dairy industry to the extent of 4110,000 a year, and the meat industry £IO,OOO. They had been instructed to obtain orders for upwards of 50,000 tons of .oats, and more was likely to bo done in that direction. Purchases of remounts had sent up the price of horses £5 per head. He pointed out if there wore regular lines of steamers to South Africa, small producers could ship on their own account, but before this was done there must be cold storage at the other end, and it remained to be seen whether Parliament would sanction the steamers and storage proposals. The Government would, however, give it an opportunity of deciding. The question of cold storage in England had been considered, and he was now in communication with tho Agent-General on the subject. If the Parliament gave the necessary authority, the nioney was here, despite the Government’s financial difficulties. It would probably mean storage in London and also in Liverpool or Manchester, if not Glasgow. He approved of a suggestion by Mr Moore (of the Producers’ Union) that there ishould be a conference of representatives of freezing companies. If it was held, the State would be presented. As to the proposals for instruction in wool classification, they might establish classos of instruction for sheep inspectors and for Government servants representing the Department of Agriculture in country districts, and these could help the small farmers.