19-22.] 



New Onion Smtt Order. 



1049 



section to the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, under whom 

 the hop control is therefore continued. The order in council 

 provided for the continuance of the powers until 16th August, 

 1925, i.e., until the expiration of the period of five years from 

 the date of the passing of the Act. 



It should be mentioned that in the first period of its existence 

 the hop control was given a state guarantee against loss, which 

 enabled banks to finance its operations at a favourable rate of 

 interest, but later that was discontinued. No charge, however, 

 has at any time fallen upon the State, since the sale of the 

 hops brought into the control has always covered the costs of 

 the operations. The control buys all hops produced in this 

 country and sells them to brewers. Its price is fixed in advance 

 for each crop and is based upon the average cost of production 

 after allowing a reasonable profit to the grower. The prices 

 per cwt. have been as follows : — for the 1917 crop. £1 15s. ; 1918 

 crop. £16 10s. : 1919 crop. £18 5s. ; 1920 crop. £17 10s. ; and the 

 1921 crop. £18. 



The pre-war acreage of hops was about 36,000 acres, which 

 was reduced during the War to about 15.000 acres. The acreage 

 in 1921 was over 25,000 acres. In the three previous years it 

 was about 15.600, 16,700 and 21.000 acres respectively, so that 

 it is clear that the policy of hop control is effecting the object 

 for which it was instituted. 



A special point as to importation of hops is worthy of notice. 

 It is an essential part of the policy of the hop control to release 

 foreign hops only after the English crop has been taken up at 

 the controlled price. Therefore, though brewers may. at their 

 own risk, contract for the purchase of foreign hops, they can only 

 obtain authority for their delivery up to an amount to cover 

 existing requirements — but not to build up stocks to the pre- 

 judice of future crops — after the English crop is disposed of, 

 and they have bought up their fair share of it. 



In May, 1920, an Order for the control of the disease known 



as *' Onion Smut ? ' was issued by the Ministry. This Order 



■*t™ cs x enabled the Ministry to take immediate 



New Onion Smut ,. .. , t , . t . 



Order action should the disease be found m other 



parts of this country. No further outbreaks 

 of the disease have been reported, however, and recent research 

 has revealed adequate measures for its treatment. A new 

 Order has therefore been issued containing less stringent 



