Farmers want postage to pay mailing costs

Press, 3 June 1981, Page 23

Farmers want postage to pay mailing costs

The North Canterbury province of Federated Farmers believes that the cost of the delivery of mail should be. covered by a postage stamp — that rural people should not have to pay an extra fee. The province approved at its annual conference a remit to this effect from its Omihi branch. One of the reasons advanced was that mail should be delivered anywhere in New Zealand for the same fee and the question was posed why people in rural areas should have to pay more after recent large increases in the cost of postage. The provincial secretary, Mr I. R. French-Wright, said that the main explanation of the Post Office for the extra charge on country people was that the farmer was able to post his mail at his gate whereas the city person had to go to a post-box. Before the remit was approved, Mr J. H. M. Dawson (Waimairi) said, “the remit is simple enough to get through to any politician.” There was some, difference of opinion about a remit from the Hawarden-Waikari branch calling on the federation to oppose the establishment of the second aluminium smelter at Aromoana near Dunedin until there was

an explanation of its advantages to New Zealand. Mr R. H. Williams (Darfield) said that he did- not oppose ■ the sentiments expressed but he did not think that the province should oppose the smelter proposal before it had sought an explanation of it's advantages for new Zealand. “Who have we got in outranks '.. who ; is - capable 'of making a judgment on this?” ■ said Mr K. M. Wells, a former chairman of the agriculture section of the province. Mr G. N. Frazer (Cust- ■ West Eyreton) said that the smelter proposal would affect farmers and all New Zealanders because of its , bearing on the cost of electricity, and was also of con- . cern to farmers because of its use of capital. i A former chairman of the’ meat and wool section, Mr R. I H. Palmer, said he did not' think that the matter should be allowed to lapse since the smelter must take away from agriculture finance that could be used to develop an . enormous area of New Zea-j land. ; | The conference finally de-1 cided that the federation should study the merits of the project and in the eveflt of the study proving it to be unsatisfactory for the agricultural industry, it should then oppose it.