NEW LABOUR LAWS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 208, 30 May 1936, Page 13

NEW LABOUR LAWS

How the Farmer May Be Affected FEAR OF RISING COSTS By Telegraph—Press Association. Invercargill, May 29. The annual provincial conference of the Southland Farmers’ Union opened to-day and will be continued to-morrow. In liis address the president. Mr. G. A. Hamilton, referred to the shorter working week, stating that if an employer across the road was paying 16/- a day for a 40-hour week it was a certainty that the farmer must pay similarly, otherwise he would not get employees. In compensation for this basic wage and shorter hours the farmer will receive a guaranteed price for his produce, but if the cost of production rises higher he will get his guaranteed price raised accordingly. “This, in turn, must force up the cost of living and correspondingly the workman must get a higher wage,” he said. “That in turn must force the cost of production still higher, followed by a further rise in the guaranteed price. There is a grave possibility of these rising prices and costs getting out of hand We have always been used to supply and demand ruling our markets. We have never tried to create our supplies or to regulate our demands. It has never seemed possible for prices to remain steady if costs went up, but there is every evidence, even at present, that prices will rise.” Among the remits carried were the following :— “That the .Government be asked to do the importing of all petrol landing in New Zealand and arrange to have it retailed through the usual channels.” “That owing to the continued importation of Australian malting barley .this conference urges the Government to have the importation of Australian barley discontinued to prevent brewing interests forcing the price of New Zealand barley below the cost of production.”

Mr. Hamilton was re-elected president.