THE COMMANDEER

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 8, 4 October 1919, Page 4

THE COMMANDEER

'Sir—My advice to the f armors, now that the elections . aro approaching, is' .' ■' stick together, and stand firm as regards, this commandeer. Have it'removed'at all costs, and let the New Zealand farmers, soldier-farmers, • and all get the. ' 'benefits of competition. It is" all very' well for Ministers to say that tho high retail price restricted the v purchaso- of meat in the Old Country. Tho meat .is. scarce there,.so.scarce that the Govern-- :. .ment is again'purchasing immense qttan-. tifcies of American: bacon. Last year': y > they purchased half a million tons, and * ' the New Zealand meat is being sold at - 3d. per'lb', less: than'tho-homo meat. No doubt it pays the .woollen companies to have the wool commandered; '•'.The following are remarks made at the meeting of the North Canterbury Farmers' Union held latory'■ one member eaid:'' !;<< lt ! had boen proved that while . the producers got i!5,OO0,O00, they had ■paid • je3;000,00fl in wages, and-where did the other AOOO.OOO go to?" He mentioned' that his wool had been sold in New Zealand at the Government price, '• and was subsequently' sold in England at an advance of 100" per cent. He would not have minded i£ the Now Zealand Government had got the 100 per cent, ■profit, but he did not know ; who got it, ;, /■■""The above speaks for ifeelf,- aDd is only ,'."■ one .example of many similar incidents. In my own case, I sold some crutchinga •'■■';'■ lately..at- 6}d. per lb. ; I wonder what they will fetch at the_ other sido, and in . viview;of these wool prices? "Wo are ex- /' T>ected to pay 50 per cent, super-land' tax, 'fV' ieaw shearing and shed hand- wages, and kerosene for shearing.. engines will be dearer this season, the latter now selling at 18s. 3d. per case. But thereseems to be no inquiry made about this. By, this commandeer the country, is simply giving away what if cannot afford. 1 Ail these extra millions aro needed here, but no one seems to bother. We display the usual apathy of the British, and let ~ things drift—l am, etc.,; ; .BE IN TIME.