FARMERS’ POOL MONEY

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25589, 2 September 1948, Page 6

FARMERS’ POOL MONEY

BRIEF DISCUSSION (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, September 1. A suggestion that if all farming members of Parliament agreed, Parliament might override Federated Farmers and the Dairy Board and give some relief from pool funds to farmers on marginal land was made by Mr P. Kearins (Government, Waimarino) in the House of Representatives this afternoon. Mr Kearins, whose brief speech was liberally punctuated by interjections, said those working on marginal land faced serious problems. Mr Ormond Wilson (Government, Palmerston North), speaking shortly after Mr Kearins, said he believed that the bodies mentioned were slowly moving towards the action recommended by Mr Kearins. Mr K. J. Holyoake (Opposition, Pahiatua) said that, speaking as a farmer of marginal country, the loss from the exchange rate to farmers dependent for most of their income on the sale of wool, especially highcountry men, would far outweigh losses from higher prices for fertiliser —probably by ten times as much. “A sticky-fingered, greedy Government,” casting a jealous eye on the pool accounts had decided to reduce the exchange rate as a method of reducing the farmers’ own* funds, which belonged to them and not to the Government, said Mr Holyoake. CANCELLED TIMBER ORDERS (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, September 1. Since the Government had altered the exchange rate, Australia had refused to take delivery of New Zealand timber already sawn for export, said Mr W. H. Gillespie (Opposition, Hurunui) in the House of Representatives to-day. He gave notice to ask the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr A. H. Nordmeyer) what he proposed to do about it; Mr Gillespie said many railway trucks were standing in the Waltham railway yards loaded with pinus timber which was to have been shipped to Australia. The trucks were badly needed for other purposes.