T. 12

1904. NEW ZEALAND.

JOINT AGRICULTURAL, PASTORAL, AND STOCK COMMITTEE: REPORT ON THE FERTILISERS BILL, TOGETHER WITH MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. (Hon J. D. Ormond, Chairman.)

Report and Minutes of Evidence brought up Tuesday, 16th August, and ordered to be printed.

EEPORT.

The Joint Agricultural, Pastoral, and Stock Committee, to whom was referred the above-mentioned Bill, have the honour to report that they have carefully considered the same in Committee, and recommend that it be allowed to proceed, with the amendments shown in the copy of the Bill attached hereto. Thomas Kelly, Acting Chairman. Tuesday, 16th August, 1904.

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.

Tuksday, 9th August, 1904. Bobert Dick, Manager of Chemical Works at Westfield, Auckland, examined. (No. 1.) 1. The Chairman.] How do you propose to give your evidence ? Are you desirous of taking such parts of the Bill as you wish to deal with ?—I think that would be the better way, as there would be no need to go over the whole Bill. I have a few recommendations to make, which have been signed by thirteen of the leading importers and manufacturers in Auckland. The first part of the Bill to which we take exception is paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of clause 3, and we propose that the word " full "at the beginning of the paragraph be deleted. It asks for a full description of the manure, which term might include a great deal that would be totally useless. The rest of the clause specifies what is the essential information required, and it might be necessary from the point of view of the Department to add the name of the manure. But a full description of the manure would mean a complete analysis, which is never given, of course. In the same subsection the terms for the various ingredients of manures are mentioned, and to two of these we take some little exception. The first is the term "phosphoric anhydride." In all previous Acts and in most of the existing Acts the term to which fanners have been used was " tricalcic phosphate " ; and the words " dipotassic oxide " (potash), we think, should read " pure potash." We suggest that the new term is in no sense an improvement on the old one, and would only lead to confusion in the mind of the farmer. The words to which we take a little exception are "dipotassic oxide," which is a big name, and is not so familiar to farmers as " potash." 2. It explains that it is potash ?—We think it is a pity to introduce a second name when the one is sufficient. Then, we suggest that in this country where mixed manures are used to such a large extent reverted phosphates (dicalcic phosphate) should also be stated separately. In England this term is not used, for this reason: that the manures are confined chiefly to bonedust and superphosphates. In this country, and in some of the other colonies, a very large proportion of the manures are in a mixed form—that is to say, bonedust or guano is mixed with the phosphate. In that case it is almost impossible to define what the solubility might be, because at the moment of contact the manures react on each other, and the result is tbe formation of a considerable amount of reverted phosphate. The next point to which we take exception is in subsection (3) of section 5, where we suggest that after the word " fertiliser " the words " in branded packages " be inserted. It is impossible for us always, especially from a manufacturer's point of view, to have only goods that are fit for sampling in our places. The Inspector has a right to come in, according to the Act, and sample any manure that may be on any one's premises. We are quite agreeable to the clause being so worded that he may be able to sample manures only that are ready for sale. In any manufacturer's place there must be a considerable amount of manure which is in the process of manufacture, and this we object to the Inspector sampling when ie is not stuff that is ready