§ 60. Mr. T. Brooksasked the Minister of Agriculture who paid the £300 freightage charged for the free gift of beans sent to this country from New Zealand; and why these beans were sent to Germany.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsA consignment of dwarf bean seed was sent to this country from New Zealand as a gift; it was subsequently found that freightage of approximately £300 had to be paid, and the society to which the seed was offered for distribution was not prepared to accept the gift on the terms that their members should jointly pay the freightage. I, therefore, decided, in order to avoid a charge upon public funds, that the seed should be diverted to the British zone in Germany, where they will be put to good use. I am advised that all costs incurred in the transport of the seed from New Zealand to the British zone will rank for recovery out of the proceeds of exports from the zone.