The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, AUGUST 22nd, 1925. AGRICULTURAL PROBLEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 August 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, AUGUST 22nd, 1925. AGRICULTURAL PROBLEMS.

The annual report of the Department of Agriculture formed the subject of considerable discussion in the House on Wednesday afternoon. An increase of production was strongly advocated by Mr G. IV. Forbes (Leader of the Opposition), who considered that the Department should encourage the farmers in this respect. Ho raised the f|Ucstion of the price of manure, which at the present time, he said, was too high. A statement from the Minister on that point would be welcomed. He contended that the Agricultural Dcparment was not striving hard enough to cope with the rabbit pest, and money expended on the employment of an officer for investigation would be a sound investment. Discussing the question of cheaper fertilisers for farmers, Mr C. E. Macmillan (Tauranga) submitted that the conditions under which these materials were sold at present should not lve allowed to exist. About 9.5 i>er cent, of the production of New Zealand came from the soil, and fertilisers to the farmers were as essential as air and water. '1 he Minister could not occupy his time better than by trying to reduce the cost of fertilisers to as low a level as possible. He- mentioned in passing that the average cost of fertilisers per annum in the Waikato district was £1 per acre. The speaker thanked the Minister for commencing inquiry into the cost of fertilisers, as a result of which they had been reduced by 5s per ton. and he felt that when it was completed the farmer would be on the “wicket’’ to which he was entitled to he upon. A closer co-operation between the Lands and Agricultural Departments was urged by Mr A. J. Murdoch (Marsden), who mentioned that there were thousands of acres in the country which were not showing a return of a single shilling. Mr Murdoch urged the need for cheaper fertilisers, and dealing with the question of noxious weeds referred to the ravages of gorse. This weed, he said, could he found in large quantities on Government lands. The weed was a menace, and lie suggested that the Minister should let out the Government lands (waste areas) to settlers in the neighbourhood at a peppercorn rental, on condition that the weed wqs kept down.

Mr F. F. Hocldv (Rotorua) referred to tlie large area of undeveloped land in the Rotorua district, which contained great possibilities. A sound policy in regard to this land was advocated by .Mr Hockly, who stated that it could soon be made very productive. He complained that stock inspectors had to cover wide areas in the discharge of their duties, their mode of transit in most cases being horseback. As a result of this much valuable time was lost through no fault of the inspectors. He hoped the Ministers would consider supplying the inspectors with motorcars. Mr F. Langstone (Wnitnarinn asked what the Department was doing to deal with the problem of contagious mamitis among cows. Ho urgeC careful consideration of vaccine treatment, which was of great importance to all dairy farmers. In reply, tho Minister (Hon. W. Nosworthy) said he did not mind fair criticism, hut he found himself in the position of having only a few minutes in which to reply. He thought that the Leader of the Opposition had taken up the view that nothing was done. He reminded the House that much more would have been done for agriculture in New Zealand had it not been for the war. To listen to some of tho speeches one would think that the Government had done nothing for agriculture. It was easy to sit on the opposite benches and criticise, hut it was not his fault that he did not have time to go into the many questions that had been raised. With regard to supplying inspectors with mo-tor-cars, as had been suggested, that matter was now under consideration.

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