AGRICULTURE ACT

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21323, 16 November 1934, Page 12

AGRICULTURE ACT

♦ SOUTHLAND PRODUCERS' ATTITUDE (MUSS A.SSOCIATIO* TELEGJUV.) INVERCARGILL, November 15. At the annual ward conference of Southland dairy producers to-day, the following resolution was carried:—"This meeting of Southland dairy producers, while keenly anxious to assist the Government to solve the difficulties of the dairy industry, would strongly urge that in the setting up of the Executive Commission of Agritulture the act schould be so altered thac the producers' representatives should be the nominee Of the Dairy Board and the nominee of the Meat Producers' Board respectively. - ' ALTERNATIVE PLAN AUCKLAND, November 15. Tile Auckland Farmers' Union, which is strongly opposed to the appointment of an executive Commission of Agriculture, has adopted an alternative plan for the rehabilitation of the dairyindustry drawn up by a sub-commit-tee. It recommends: — (1) Further scaling down of import duties on necessities, with a view to concluding a favourable reciprocal trading agreement with Great Britain. 12) The use of all motor taxation for road purposes, to relieve county ratepayers. (3) The abolition of the hospital re ting system. (4) A comprehensive plan for dealing with the mortgage position, so that the producer's work over a long period shall not be sacrificed to purely financial considerations. In such a plan, human values, as against financial values, should have tar greater consideration than in the past. (5) Further lowering of interest rates through the agency of the Receive Bank.

(C) In addition to the foregoing, seme immediate relief is necessary and credits should be issued by the Reserve Bank, free of interest, for the purpose of guaranteeing a minimum price of Is per lb for butterfat, with a proportionate price for cheese. When the foregoing reforms are given effect to, we consider the base minimum price for butter-fat should be lOd per ib. Credits should be repayable from a fund created as and when market prices rise above the respective guarnr.'.ced minimum prices.