PROVINCIAL FARMERS' CONFERENCE

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22103, 27 May 1937, Page 8

PROVINCIAL FARMERS' CONFERENCE

FIXATION OF GUARANTEED PRICE (PHESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) DANNEVIRKE, May 26. An inter-provincial conference ol six districts of the New Zealand Farmers' Union opened here to-day, with more than 120 delegates present. Welcomes were extended by the Southern Hawke's Bay president (Mr J. Livingston), by the Mayor, and Sir Alfred Ransom. . „, „ Sir Alfred Ransom said that apart from Crown lands, the Government had at its disposal for closer settlement 57,000 acres of land previously acquired for this purpose. Mr R. Seivers, the president of the conference, in his opening address, strongly emphasised the serious menace to the farming community of noxious weeds, which had now bPcome a national problem. He alleged that the system of land taxation was inequitable and condemned the present system of estimating the unimproved value, which he described as a vague and indeterminate process. Among the remits carried were: "That where farmers under mortgage relief give orders and moneys are paid in advance for interest and rent, 5 per cent, interest be paid on all such moneys received." "That the conference opposes any further interference by the Government in the free sale by farmers of their produce without a referendum of the industry concerned." "That the Government exceeded all ideas of what farmers expected in taking over the marketing of dairy produce, and the time has arrived when dairy factory directors should be given a free hand, and a straightout minimum guarantee, the price fixed for labour and other costs to be considered when fixing the guaranteed price" "That the Government make immediate provision for training young men to qualify as veterinary surgeons." "That the conference supports the proposal for new regulations governing the importation of live stock from countries infected with foot-and-mouth disease." A motion condemning a compensating price as unsound in principle was lost by 49 votes to 4.