Many Apply For Potatoes For Planting

Taranaki Daily News, 29 August 1942, Page 2

Many Apply For Potatoes For Planting

Some grocers accept applications. "Applications are just pouring in and it is a matter of speculation why there ever was a shortage of potatoes if all these gardeners planted their 281b of seed," said a seedsman yesterday when discussing the potato situation at New Plymouth. He added that some people were asking for smaller amounts than the maximum but the majority applied for the 281b. In the absence of any official ruling on the subject some grocers and even fruit shops that stocked seeds previously, have been accepting applications. One New Plymouth grocer, who is a member of the gram, seed and produce merchants' association, said that grocers not members of the association could not be classed as seedsmen and therefore applications through them would not be valid. The only exception to this rule, he assumed, would be grocers in outlying districts where there were no seedsmen. Police Officers Busy. Police officers at New Plymouth were kept busy all yesterday countersigning applications merely as witnesses of the applicant's signature. One officer stated that he presumed the countersigning was to prevent people apply ing' more than once for supplies. In t!^ absence of any detailed instructions neither police officers nor seedsmen are making any inquiry of applicants whether they have earlier in the season obtained some supplies and now require more to complete sowing the area of ground available, though the form of application sets out that the applicant certifles to normally planting a quantity of seed potatoes for private use and that he has bvi^n unable to obtain supplie?. Only six persons yesterday approached the police at Stratford, with requests to countersign applications for the purchase of seed potatoes. Seed merchants expect that they will receive a large number of orders judging by the number of inquiries made yesterday about the required procedure, but so far the public has made little move to take the ' necessary steps, although Monday is the last day on which applications can be lodged. At the Hawera police station yester'day a steady stream of callers was experienced when applications for seed potatoes sought the counted-signature of a member of the police force. Many J people arrived with thei application already written out while others produced forms typed by commercial firms. In the majority of cases applicants applied for the maximum amount available. Some Hawera grocers as well as seedsmen have been accepting applications.