FIRST STEPS FOR PEACE

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24582, 2 June 1945, Page 5

FIRST STEPS FOR PEACE

ADDRESS TO FARMERS* UNION

“The first step towards peace is to ensure adequate food for all, hunger being one of the principal causes of riot and discontent,” said the president of the Mid-Canterbury provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union (Mr P. J. Mowat) in his annual report, presented at the annual conference of the union held at Ashburton yesterday. “We.' as primary producers, are responsible for feeding the people. In the main, I think we realise and accept that responsibility and are anxious to do our part, and have genuinely attempted to do so under difficult conditions, which have not been improved by those controlling the administration of the country to-day,” he continued. In view of the recent announcement of the proposed cut in the. meagre rations of the people of Britain and the gravify of the food position in Europe, he felt it encumbent on him to appeal earnestly to farmers of MiflCanterbury to do all in their power to maintain production and increase it if possible, so that not only would our own requirements be filled, but the largest possible quantity would be exported to alleviate the acute-shortage uv Britain and Europe. It was regrettable to note the fall of 48.000 acres in wheat production for 1944-45, Mr Mowat said. The resolution passed by the Labour conference at Wellington in November complimenting the Government on what it had done for farmers, which had resulted in increased production, was hard to reconcile with actual facts, he added. Had the season been less favourable production would have been still less, as dairy herds were still being sold off and heifers were being sent to freezing works. A small measure of relief was granted by deferring the calling up of some agricultural workers to enable grain sowing to be carried out, but the position on most farms of all classes torday was that the available labour was totally Inadequate, in spite of the statement of the Acting-Prime Minister recently that 10.000 more men were employed on the land to-day than in 1943. Such a statement, coming from such a source, was ludicrous in comparison to the actual facts, continued Mr Mowat. The introduction of'an acreage qualification for wheat for 1945-46 before the maximum price could be paid was most unwise, and the reduction of the acreage by 15.000 acres > recently announced could not possibly be sufficient incentive to ensure the sowing of the required amount of 300.000 acres of wheat, said Mr Mowat. Huge surpluses of wool were building up all over the world, and the disposal of them was causing serious thought. Little if any had been shipped from New Zealand for more than two years. He emphasised the importance of maintaining thb quality of all exports.