Farmers’ protest

Press, 14 June 1978, Page 18

Farmers’ protest

Sir, — Tn one fell swoon, during the most callous exhibition ever witnessed on TV, the farmers involved in that “bloody sacrifice,” of old sheep proved to the world that their anger even at the freezing workers’ dispute had nothing to do with the suffering it might inflict upon the animals concerned, but only upon the damage done to their own pockets. The ordinary citizen would be “run in” for causing less suffering to animals than that shameful episode involved. Was there any need for them to take out their anger and spite on the animals themselves by dragging them brutally from trucks and dumping them hard on their backs on the pavement? The damage and pain inflicted by the method of unloading alone would have to be seen on the carcase to be believed, but of course it did not matter; there was no more profit left in this lot. — Yours, etc., NANCY C. ECCLES, Kaikoura. June 11, 1978.

Sir, — I am extremely proud of our fellow and future young farmers who last Friday took the law into

their own hands in Invercargill to put down starving and dying old ewes. This very situation drove me and my family to this point last February. We had an utter sense of frustration after battling the elements of nature for a year then finding our fellow equal would not work. The recent Budget does nothing for my family. What is the point of propping up an industry when it is destined to collapse through our militant unions. This is where our Government’s efforts should be made to get farmer confidence back — not in giving subsidies. It is a great pity that more farmers do not take action like that of our positive-thinking Southland farmers. — Yours, etc., C. P. RUTHERFORD, Amberley. June 10. 1978.