ASSISTANCE TO BRITAIN

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25274, 28 August 1947, Page 6

ASSISTANCE TO BRITAIN

—♦— FEDERATED FARMERS' COMMENTS

area discussion of PLANS PROPOSED

~ On the motion of Mr L. C. Gardiner, tne North Canterbury executive of Federated Farmers, at a meeting in Christchurch yesterday, decided to send a telegram to the Aid to Britain Committee m Wellington, asking it to convene, as soon as possible, a meeting in Christchurch of all bodies interested in the appeal for assistance to Britain, so that ways of implementing the recommendations of the recent Wellington conference could be discussed.

Mr K. W. J. Hall presented a report on the Wellington conference, which he attended as a representative of Federated Farmers. Mr L. R. C. Macfarlane, after referring to the number of derelict farms which still existed in Canterbury, said that the solution of the problem of securing extra production was in securing extra labour. It was no good trying to induce extra production if the additional labour was not available. There were many people in the towns who, he thought, would be prepared to take their holidays in the country, working for farmers during the harvest. They would, of course, be paid wages for their work. This practice had once, been common, but it had lapsed in recent years. Mr L. B. Scott said he did not approve of a lot of the talk which had taken place about aid to Britain: it was not realistic enough. Everybody “had a go” at the poor old farmer, and too much nonsense was talked. Recently, members would have read newspaper reports of a man who was prosecuted because he had been building his own house on Sundays. Why could not other sections of the community go ahead and give their support to the aid proposals, besides the farmers? Produce would not feed Britain if it were left rotting in the fields; it was no good producing foodstuffs if the farmer could not get them away from the ports.

Appeal to Workers An attempt would have to be made to prevail on the unions to be at least neutral, continued Mr Scott. In the past, strikes had held up supplies of sacks and the preparation of meat at the freezing works. When it was a case of providing food for Britain, workers should do all they could to expedite it; they should not hold the goods back to secure higher wages for themselves. According to the Budget, said Mr M. M. Fleming, transport costs were going up by about 20 per cent., and wages would be increased by something like 10s a week. Then farmers were asked to produce more. The authorities would pay producers if it suited them. If Federated Farmers were to go to the Minister of Finance (Mr W. Nash) and suggest that the subsidies which were to be removed should be used for food for Britain, it would be the easiest way to aid the United Kingdom. Mr J. H. Jebson said that last year crops had been left out for months because of transport difficulties. There was a lack of organisation and cooperation from farm to wharf, with everyone concerned. The president (Mt J. W. Earl) said that, in spite of all the problems mentioned, it was still the moral duty of everyone to do everything humanly possible in the way of organising to aid Britain. During the war, the production committees and councils had lacked the essentials to get production fully stepped up. Mr Earl advocated the holding of an area meeting of interested bodies in Canterbury to discuss the assistance programme. It might even be necessary for people to waive seme of their rights temporarily to give full assistance. Cereal production was held to be more valuable in the crisis than meat production; for while a farmer could produce tons of grain, he might be able to produce only a few Hundredweight of meat.

Mr Gardiner said that a long view had to be taken in arranging a wheat sowing programme. Wheat could not be sown at short notice, and even now it would be too late to sow crops this season. They should also have an assurance that produce would immediately be lifted from the farms for shipment. If that assurance was unobtainable, they could not get anywhere.