FARMERS INDIGNANT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 244, 12 October 1916, Page 2

FARMERS INDIGNANT.

-PROVINCIAL - EXECCTTVE PROTESTS. V " ' ~~'\ STRONG RESOLUTION CARRIED. A_ meeting of the provincial executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union today was attended by Mr. H. E. Pacey, at the request of the president (Mr.' A, A. Ross), and very full consideration was given to the scheme propounded, by the Board of. Trade 'With reference to butter. It was explained nhat : Mr. Pacey had been «tq Wellington and attended the most representative meeting of dairymen that had ever taken place in New Zealand; also that three Ministers of the .Crown were present, and expressed the hope that there would be no opposition to the wishes of the" Government, as the matter- was of grave concern. -- In the course of the discussion members of the executive were resentful of the action of the Government in selecting- one branch of industry upon which 1 to place a tax. They also "objected that it was impolitic and opposed to business principles to interfere' with the ordinary course of business if such interference could be avoided. Eventually the meeting agreed with the feeling' of the conference in Wellington to protest against the principle involved, and the.following (resolution was carried almost unanimously:— "That this executive protests most emphatically against the continued interference by the Government with prices eudh as ~ proposed with reference to. the suppty' of'butter for local consumption. We call attention to-the fact that the farmers' cost of production has enormously increased, so that a comparison of present with former prices is most misleading. We contend that the cost of living has been affected by a general rise in the price of commodities, and we fail to see any reason why 'butter should be singled out for special treatment, wages having risen, or are being raised, sufficiently to remedy any | injustice in' that respect, and we contend that any interference with prices of butter will simply prevent the dairyman's returns from rising in a like proportion, and will-thereby, act- very unjustly towards thousands of struggling settlers. So long as tne Government confines its efforts to handling our produce with the object of feeding our fighting men, or aiding the Empire generally, 'we raise no objection, but we would Temind the public of the Tesults which •followed when the Government interfered with .the wheat supply and with the export of hides. In the former case' the middleman gained' at the expense of the consumer, and in the latter at the.expense of the producer., and-we call upon the farmere of the Dominion to present a united front on this question, and urge the Government to adhere to sound business principles."