PROBLEM OF COSTS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 124, 7 March 1936, Page 2

PROBLEM OF COSTS

THE GOVERNMENT’S POLICY. CO-OPERATION BiY FARMERS. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, March 6. A promise that the New Zealand Farmers’ Union would co-operate with the Government and assist it whereever possible was made by the president (Mr W. J. Poison, M.P.) when addressing a meeting organised by the Makara-Hutt Valley branch of the union at the Wallacevilie Laboratory to-day. . Mr Poison said that during the last few months there had been a sort _ of social revolution in the Dominion. There was a complete change of Government, and a new formula was to be applied by a party which had given a great deal of time and thought to what it proposed doing. The Farmers’ Union was going to be as helpful as possible and would give what advice it was capable of giving to a Government, which'ever it was. “We are adopting that plan with the Government in power to-day,” he said. The Farmers’ Union was tied to no party, but was out to do the best for the farmers. “We do not agree, possibly, that the plan the Government is putting into effect is the best plan,” he continued. H,e believed in the costs of production being kept down as low as possible, and. in not being allowed to rise. The union had always tried to maintain the position and prevent undue increases in costs, which the farmer could not pass on, as other sec 1 - tions of the community could. The Government of the day said; if that c6uld not be escaped from, then it must give the farmer some compensation, namely, guaranteed prices. That raised all sorts of problems in economics and many claimed the scheme was not workable. “But,” said Mr Poison, “here is a Government returned by a huge majority; so we are determined to give them all the support we can, so that no one can say we put a sprag in the wheel.” Mr Poison said that all the farmers were anxious to pay their workers the best wages they could, and, thjpy were not proud of the fact that thfey paid the lowest wages of any of the primary producers. The dairy farmer, his wife, and; children had to work long hours, seven days a week, and , how they were going to combine increased wages and lower hours was not yet clear to him. However, those were matters in which the daily industry itself had a.voice. The union was consulting farming interests and in a week or 10 days time it was hoped to give The Government consolidated advice from all sections of the industry.