COST OF PRODUCTION.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 124, 28 May 1925, Page 10

COST OF PRODUCTION.

THK RETURN' TO THE FARMER. '■An the bottom of all our troubles."' Mr. Kosa referred m the rust of production, at the meeting of the Farmer*' Union yesterday. Tlie price of products, he said, was not going down to any appreciable extent, but the return to the farmer was nillfll less. Some thought the remedy lay in providing good roads, top-dressinf,', agricultural education, belter marketing, and adequate finance at reasonable rates, but they could get all those things and they would etiil be no better off. The primary producer had to work in the face of competition—the cost could not be parsed on and they lind to cave in. Jf they got all the things asked for it would only mean that they would last so long as they had the ability to carry loans. So far "as lie could seethe trouble lay in the fact I that costs had been piled up too hiphly, I and the proper remedy was an equitable j system which prevented protected inilus- | tries from passing on the extra cosl to | the primary producer. He moved: "That this conference is of opinion tliHt one nf the most urgent of the problems con- I fronting the farmer at the present time is the fact that the con of production is I abnormally hipli compared with Hie market \alue of farm produce, and that | the volume of primary production will be maintained only with great difficulty, and no extensive "scheme of land settlement has much hope of success, so long as this Mate of affairs exist?." Mr. Martin thought cheap money would lie nn pood unless they stabilised the value of land. Mr. Roberts' solution was in absolute fret, trade. Mr. Monro pointed to the fact that fnrmerß had worked harder and produced more than ever before and were entitled to adequate assistance. Messrs. Budden. .Sweeney, Carton, Barter, (Joosman, Fiesst. Johnson, and the president also contributed to the debate, n ,,d. after Mr. Ross had replied the remit was carried.