LINEN FLAX

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 June 1941, Page 6

LINEN FLAX

FARMERS’ CROP CONTRACTS MAY BE MADE WITH TRADING MERCHANTS. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) . WELLINGTON, This Day. The Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr Sullivan) stated today that' he had been approached by members of the New Zealand Grain and Seed Merchants’ Federation with a request that they should be given the opportunity of arranging contracts of linen flax crops during the coming season. Mr Sullivan said: “I decided to agree to their request and the position now will be that, as an alternative to officers of the Agricultural Department accepting a contract direct, farmers may, if they wish, arrange their contracts through their usual trading merchant. In all cases contracts will not be entered into by the Government until the area is approved by an officer of the Department of Agriculture. Where farmer:: prefer to mal;e contracts direct with the Government,' through field officers, all disbursements will in such cases be madef-tijreet to the farmer entering into the contract. Where contracts are made through a mercantile firm, payments on behalf of the farmer will be made through the firm in question. It is hoped that, by allowing members of the New Zealand Grain and Seed Merchants’ Federation to contract, a full response to the Government’s desire to secure 25,000 acres of linen flax will be secured, but I wish to make it clear that farmers who prefer to contract direct with the Government will have every opportunity to do so.”