'EMPLOY MORE MEN'

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 290, 8 December 1933, Page 5

'EMPLOY MORE MEN'

APPEAL TO FARMERS.

HIGHER PRICES OF WOOL

BENEFIT SHOULD BE SPREAD.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

GISBORNE, this day.

An appeal to farmers to utilise addi- j tional receipts from wool in the employment of as many men as there is profit- I able work for was made yesterday by Mr. C. H. Williams, president of the East Coast Sheepfarmers' Union. At the same time, he sounded a note of caution, pointing out that many lean years have to be made up for, and that without the benefit of the exchange premium the position of the farmer would still be anything but satisfactory, j The rise in the price of crossbred wool, in particular, was more substantial than even the most optimistic had expected, Mr. Williams said, but for two years wool had been sold at less than the cost of its production, so that even the rise recorded this season could not be said to spell wealth to the producer. The rise certainly served to relieve the strain of recent years, but much leeway had yet to be made up, and it would be necessary also to see that costs did not pursue their habit of chasing prices too rapidly. "No More Profitable Avenue." Already, added Mr. Williams, there was a move by some local bodies to restore wages to their former level, but 'there were still 70,000 men out of work, jand surely it would be better policy ito see that any additional funds available were spread among some of these. This year's wool cheque would exceed (last season's by several million pounds. [Much of this would remain for farmers I to spend, and no more profitable avenup

lof expenditure could be imagined than in carrying out delayed work, which [would require a large amount of labour. He appealed to farmers to do everything Ipossible in this direction, and. thus assist to distribute the benefits of the higher [prices.