WORK OF FARMERS’ UNION

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 242, 9 July 1938, Page 17

WORK OF FARMERS’ UNION

“Must Be Fighting Force”

Dominion Special Service.

Wanganui, July 8.

“We are sometimes so interested in ■business which is within our own boundary fences that we are apt to overlook things outside the fences,” said Mr. W. W. Mulholland, Dominion president of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, in an address to the Makirikiri branch to-night. It wars as necessary <o give consideration to the general 'business of the'farm as to the running of it. If farmers joined together as an efficient organisation they would find considerable interest was taken in their requests; The union was not as efficient as it should be, mainly because all the farmers who should did not belong to the union, said Mr. Mulholland. There was »ilso a slight disunity, which must be rectified. “The union is a democratic organisation working for the good of the farmers,” he said. “If the individual farmer does not express his individual opinion through the branches the union must fail. The union must be ff fighting force to put the opinions ■of individual farmers before the Government. If the branches work effectively the union will be effective.”

Prices and Prosperity

One. of the tilings, causing concern to farmers to-day was rising costs, said Mr. Mulholland. The Government had come into power on a policy of inflated prices; they had considered that that was the best way of getting out of the slump. It was a fallacy to say that liigh prices meant prosperity; it was the relation between costs and prices which resulted in prosperity. Very early in its life the Government had increased costs. Wages were restored to the 1931 level, but these were obtained on 1928 prices. In addition, formers had to face a 40-hour week, new regulations and increasing costs. The Government had promised to increase prices to cover this. This was the declared policy of the Government, and it was the union’s policy to see that it slid so.

Mr. Mulholland said the only satisfactory way of fixing the price was by making it. eomi>erisate for the internal costs of the farmer. The fall of prices for exports had caused the last depression. Prices were falling to-day, and if this continued the country was going to be in difficulties again. He said a large number of farm employees were going on to public works; this would result in a drop of production in the country. High costs were resulting in second and thirdfirade lands going back and ultimately going out of production.