FARMERS’ FEARS
MAINTAINING PRODUCTION. SOME UNSETTLING FACTORS. DEPUTATION TO MINISTERS. (Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, November 2. Grave apprehension as to the possibility of primary production being maintained at its previous level was expressed by a representative deputation of the executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union and the, provincial presidents, which waited on the Minister for Finance and for Marketing (the Hon. AV. Nash) this evening. The Dominion President (Mr W. W. Mulholland) said the cause of this fear, which was to be found in every farming area, and which had given rise to farmers’ meetings which had been held recently all over New Zealand, were certain things which had taken place during the last few months in New Zealand. Also present at thp deputation were the Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. W. Lee Martin), the Minister for Labour (the Hon. P. C. Webb), and the Minister for Lands (the Hon. F. Langstone).
Mr Mulholland emphasised that the movement to hold these meetings had been spontaneous. Some of the factors which were operating to unsettle the farmer might be cited, as follows: —
1. The fear that the war was being used as an excuse for the introduction of a permanent state of control of industry in New Zealand. 2. The'-inadequacy of the guaranteed price for dairy produce. 3. The impossibility of procuring adequate suitable farm labour. 4. The recent amendment to the Marketing Act taking away the safeguard of the price formula. “We are not here to protest against the Government having extraordinary and far-reaching powers in this crisis,” Mr Mulholland said; “but, sir, the very fact that the Government has those very wide powers, if it cared to make use of them, makes it equally necessary that the Government shall say very frankly that it does not intend to make any use of them, except for the purpose of dealing with the present emergency.”
Guaranteed price. The inadequacy of the guaranteed price, he said, had been a considerable factor in the meetings which had been held. The farmers’ Union supported the representations of the Dairy Industry Council completely. It was also felt that it was perhaps particularly unfortunate that the announcement of the continuation of the same guaranteed price should have appeared side by side with the announcement that Public Works workers were to have an increase in wages. Farmers felt that they were being treated in a different way from the rest of the community. On the farm labour question Mr Mulholland said the union had had reports of applications for fnen suitable for farm work which local placement officers had had to admit they could not fill. Mr Webb : Of experienced farm workers ? Mr Mulholland: Reasonably experienced. The competition of other industries, Mr Mulholland added, in particular public works, which were able to offer more money and shorter hours was one of the chief difficulties in obtaining farm labour.
“It is our earnest desire to assist the Empire in this crisis by expanding production to the utmost limit of our ability; but we feel it our duty, in the interests both of the farmer and the Government, to draw attention to the difficulty that may arise if the British Government, after we have developed our production, restricts our export to the United Kingdom,” Mr Mulholland said. “We urge also that adequate steps be taken at the conclusion of the war for the disposal of surpluses which have accumulated during that period. We desire to assure the Government that if it is .necessary, in view of the war situation, for the community to make sacrifices, the farmers are prepared at all times to accept their full share. No Examples. In reply, Mr Nash said Mr Mulhoiland had given no examples of this. Mr Mulholland: I purposely did not. Mr Nash: I would have liked them. Mr Mulholland : The feeling is rather general than specific. Mr Nash: I would like to get it, because I do not know where it is. Mr Mulholland: ' One point is whether the stock and station firms will handle the farmers’ produce from the gate l . Mr Nash said it had not been suggested that they would not. They wanted l-16d more for handling wool. Mr Mulholland said that, in regard to the transport position, there were restrictions on commercial transport, and on petrol. . . Mr Nash: I do know that it is still imperative inside the war period, to conserve every gallon of petrol. I am just a bit diffident as to whether wo should have lifted the restrictions on petrol to* tlio extent we have'. On the question of the Marketing Act, the Minister said it had been suggested that it should apply for the war period and for two years after. The answer he had given was that the Government was going to i>ut the question to the House, and the House should decide whether it should continue. It was impossible now to determine the time within which it would be wise to relax control. Mr Mulholland: Can you give us an assurance that when the. marketing position comes back to normal the restrictions will be lifted. Mr Nash: I have said we will bring it into the House. In addition,. the United Kingdom is a party to it. Mr Mulholland : Where is the objection to stating that when the ooriod arrives when things are reasonably normal, the restrictions will be lifted ? Mr Nash: I have said I will bring it before the House, and let the House
decide whether it ought to go on or not.
Mr Webb: The farmers may want it to> go on.
Mr Mulholland: I grant you, the farmers may: but war emergency measures should be limited to the period of adjustment.
Mr Mulholland said that farmers felt that they needed a little more than an indication that the question would be brought, before the House.
Mr Nash: I cannot say any more than that. We will let Parliament decide. Parliament does, anyway. Mr Mulholland: The tiling that matters to us it; what you, if you are in your present position, will recommend.
Mr Nash: I cannot tell you other than that, I will bring it before Parliament.
Air Mulholland: You can understand that that does not clear the doubt in the farmers’ mind.
Cbming to the question of the guaranteed. price, Mr Nash said he bad been trying to get a. price from the United Kingdom to pay what the Government was paying. There had been a lot of cruel and vicious misunderstanding caused, and misrepresentation of the position by the. press and others. “And we won’t get a price that will cover the price that we are paying,” All* Nash continued. “We will be paying more to the dairy farmer than we will be receiving.” Air Nash said it was viciously unfair to say that the industry had not been consulted over the guaranteed price.
Air Alulliolland: Not from the Dairy Council.
Air Nash: From meetings, reports of which have appeared in the press. The Minister emphasised that the guaranteed price -formula still applied and that there was no question of using the war for permanent control. Discussing public works pay, Air Nash said it was correct to' state that pay on public works had been fixed in* April, 1936. The dairy farmer had had two rises since then. Everybody else around public works were doing splendid work, end did not got too much money.
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Bibliographic details
Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 20, 3 November 1939, Page 3
Word Count
1,240FARMERS’ FEARS Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 20, 3 November 1939, Page 3
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