A TRUST ALLEGED.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 August 1925, Page 3

A TRUST ALLEGED.

GOVFRNEXT CONTROL DEMANDED. WELLINGTON, August 13. ■Alleging that a ring or trust existed to maintain a high price of farm fertilisers, Air Masters (Stratford) demanded in tho House this evening that manufacturers should either reduce their charges for mantes or tho Government should take control of tho industry. “1 wish to draw the attention of the -Minister of Agriculture to the great need of cheap manures,” said Air Musters. “Will the Minister carry out the promise made last year when the member for Tauranga, in speaking to the Address-in-Kcply, showed quite clearly by means of correspondence that trust methods were in ofieration, ante that the system of .selling manures is such that it is not in the interests of those who purchase this farming necessity. It is up to toe Minister oi Agriculture to see cheap manures made available to the farmer. There is a trust operating here which controls prices from one end of New Zealand to the other, and I am sorry to say a laruiets’ co-operative concern is it number of that combination. Jf the, (oinpaiiies will not exercise their control in a reasonable way and sell their manures at a fair and reasonable profit —I do not say they should not make a fair and reasonable profit—they should lie taught that they cannot prey on the farmer. If they will not meet the Government on a. fair basis there is only one thing for the Alinister to say and that is: ’I control the raw material (the manure rock), and I am going to dictate the position. If you’re not content with a fair profit on tho capital invested, I am going to manufacture manures on hehalt of the Government with the material we get from Nauru Island.’ If the Minister is strong enough he will take up that attitude. It is demanded of him.”

Air Field (Otiiki) strongly supported the demand for cheaper manures, and declared that if the companies were doing us had been alleged they were an abomination in the land. The Alinister of Agriculture had no opportunity of replying, as the report was talked out.