FARMERS' REQUESTS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 144, 6 July 1937, Page 2

FARMERS' REQUESTS

Our Qvm Correspondent.

Depufation ^ To Minister in Wairoa

VARIETY OF SUBJECTS

From

WAIROA, Last Nigiht. The Hon. W. Lee Martin, Minister of Agriculture, Mr A. H. Cockayne, Director-General of Agriculture, and party, arrived iu Wairoa from Gisborne on Saturday. The Mayor, Mr H. L. Harker, extended a welcome to the Minister on hehalf of the citizens, and Mr A. T.. Carroll, icn the absence of the president of the Farmers' Union, Mr P. J. O'Kane, who was out of the district, extended a welcome on behalf of the farming community. The Minister receivfid a deputation from the Farmers' Union, and discussed several matters of importance. Noxious Weeds. Mr D. H. Withers, secretary of the union, submitted the matters, the first being the control of noxious weeds in 1 this area, ' pointing out that if the Government did not take the matter in hand ahd form some scheme wiiereby all land was cieared the farmers who did clear their land were threatened with the weeds spreading and becoming put of control. It was a disgrace to see some of the land owned by the (kown and Native Lands Department overrun with blackberry and ragwort, while the farmer next door was struggjling to keep his iand clear. On behalf of the union, iVir Withers submitted the following suggestion: ''That a special noxious weeds organisation be set up by the Agriculture Department to formulate a scheme and enter into negotiations to deal with noxious weeds on Crown lands, with county councils and other local bodiea they aeem advisable for the control of noxious weeds on county ratepayers' property." The Minister stated that the problem was not new, and his Government was alive to such a state. Recentiy the matter had been taken.in hand, and in one particular district the department Was experimenting over seventeen counties. If the scheme was successful it wouid be carried out throughout New Zealand. The Minister emphasised the fact that it was also the duty of all public bodies to assist in this most important matter, without their support and the farmers themselves, the task could not be carried out successfully. Mr Withers mentioned that several farmers were using fiamethrowers for the control of noxious weeds. "And how do they find them. operatingi," asked Mr Cockayne. "Very eifectively," was Mr Withers' reply. Mr Cockayne stated that they had been used to good advantage elsewhere and his department was experimenting with them also. Mr Withers stated that the machines consumed about two gaiions of fuel per hour, and asked if the Government could make a refund on such fuel used, the same as they make a refund on petrol used in milkuig plants, etc. The Minister stated that this came under a different heading, as the rebate on petrol used for farming purposes was a rebate of duty paid, whereas fuel oil was imported "with very little duty. However, the, suggestion was an excellent one, and ' his department would be pleased to endeavour to arrange one. Rate Burden. ' Thb next matter mentioned by Mr Withers was the rate burden. His union urged that the. Government should carry out a scheme ot derating lands throtighout the Dominion with a view to lifting the rate. burden from the shoulders of the farmers. The Minister agreed that the rates were high, and said that the department was already tackiing the matter in an endeavour to bring about a reduction. Mr Withers submitted a proposal whereby farmers could obtain boys for farms with a view to training fhem to become skilled farmers, the farmer finding their keep and paying them a the Government subsidised the balance, payable under the Agjriculture Workors' Act, this to apply to the first 12 months. thereafter the farmer pay- ; ing them according to the rates set out. Mr Carroll stressed the position from the dairy farmers' point of view, pointing out that boys could not be trained in a few months and unless some such scheme was put into operation boys could not be employed by the farmers at the high wages suggested. Then again, if the boys were only obtaining a small wage they would not.go on the land. If»the Government could make tup the balance no hardship would be infiieted on the farmer by taking unskilied labour, and the incentive would be there for the boys to take on farming. , • Farmers' Difficulty. The Minister expressed his keen interest in 'such a scheme, realising the difficulty of the farmer having to take on untrained boys and paying them high wages. Continuing, the Minister asked Mr Carroll what was to stop farmers from employing these boys under such a scheme and then getting rid of them at the end of «the 12 months and taking on further cheap labour. Would the farmer agree to a scheme of apprentieeship whereby the farmer would hire this labour for, say a period ot four years. Mr Carrol said that it would be very satisfactory, providing that in the event of the boy tuming out unsatisfactory they* would, be allowed to dismdss him and not be saddled with unsuitable labour for a period of years. Mr Cockayne. stated that the Government had taken over Flock House and could train about 60 boys every eight months. As he travelled through New Zealand he had seen many "Flock Houses," meaning the farmers themselves, where boys could be trained, where the scheme could be very well extended. Mr Cockayne said: "What is to stop the department i'tom putlmg these beys out dkect with farmers to train; the department exercising some supervision in conjunction with the farmer concerned and making him a grant for the purppeeP" Any ainouut of boys

would then be trained. This was the idea of the department and he considered that sooner or later this scheme might he put into operatlon. Houses for Married Men The final question raised by the secretary of the union, was the building of houses for married farm labourers. The Minister was very sympathetic to this proposal, stating that if suitable houses could be erected on farms a good deai of the farmers' troubles regarding labour would disappear, as " when a married man was comfortably settled on the farin he considered for a long time before he moved, whereas the single man with only a suitcase to pack lefb at any old time * Mr Withers mentioned that it was impossible to give the Government a first mortgage to protect their aasets, as was required at preseht, as very few farmers would be found that were free from mortgage. The Minister stated that it was the intention of the Government t6 bring down a scheme whereby the farmers could obtain a grant for building purposes under an arrangement with the mortgagee, who would allow the farmer to pay off the house by instalments. Concluding, the# Minister said that Mr Lee, the Director of Housing, was now working on this matter and, no doubt, arrangements would be made in the very near future. Mr Harker spoke on the matters brought forward by the union, and expressed his desire to eee the Government erect houses in the borough also, in view of the fact that Ihe new gtoek inspector would not be able to obtain a house upon his arrival.