NEED FOR REVISION

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 135, 5 December 1939, Page 10

NEED FOR REVISION

5000 AT MASS MEETING

• IMPORT CONTROU

MODIFICATION URGED

(By Telegraph.) (Special to the "Evening Post.")

HAMILTON, This Day.

Few shops in Hamilton remained bpen yesterday while the meeting W3S held on the* Claudelands racecourse to discuss the effects of the import restrictions on shopkeepers, builders, farmers, and consumers. Immediately before and after the meeting, however, Hamilton presented its usual busy scene, and carparking space was at a premium. Streets in the vicinity of the racecourse were lined with cars, indicating the keen intqrest taken in the proceedings by the farming community, who came from far and near. As the hour for the commencement x>i the meeting approached, the crowd thickened, and it was estimated finally at between 5000 and 6000. The crowd, however, was not as large as was expected. Apart from the blaring of voices from loud-speakers and the absence of horses and jockeys, Claudelands presented a typical race^day scene. Women were well represented. Generally speaking, the meeting was representative of the business and farming communities. Comparatively few tradesmen were present. There were few interjections, and when motions were put urging the Government to toodify the import restrictions there was only a sr/rinkling of hands raised against them. Interruptions "vjfere most frequent while Mr. A. J. Sinclair, on behalf of the farmers^ and Mr. Gainor Jackson, Auckland, were speaking, but they were so fe%v that the speakers were not troubled. Several lame attempts were made to count out Mr. Jackson, and there was a fair volume of protests when Mr. Sinclair charged the Government with not fulfilling its pledges to the farmers. Those who went to the meeting in anticipation of seeing fireworks or counter-demonstrations must have been sadly disappointed. The Mayor of Hamilton, Mr. H. D. Caro, said it was gratifying to see that the town and country were united in organising the meeting, the first of its kind in- New Zealand. It showed that the 7 farmers realised the difficulties of the' town people and that those living in the towns appreciated the difficulties facing the farmers. It was only by united action that people could help each other. Mr. Caro added that the meeting was strictly non-political. Mr. B. W. Woodhams, speaking on behalf of retailers, said: "The retailer fully realises that some form of import control and restriction is necessary at present, and he believes the system now in force is a genuine endeavour to cope with a most difficult situation, but we feel it is our duty to point out what we consider the effects of the present control scheme will be. "We feel that curtailment of supplies will become so serious # within a few months that most businesses will be unable to avoid retrenching severely in all directions. "In connection with the operation of the present import control scheme, we should like to appeal tor less rigid interpretation. We suggest that, instead of taking one year's imports as the basis for issuing licences, the average of at least two .years' total imports should be used. Where only one year is used, any anomalies in quantities of goods ordered in that particular year are perpetuated. A further suggestion we make is that licences for various tariff items should be interchangeable. This would not increase the. total value of licences issued. We think that consideration should be given to the idea of allocating an amount of sterling to ' each retailer for each period, and giving much more latitude to the individual as to what he actually imports." VIEW OF FARMERS. Mr. A. J. Sinclair, on behalf of farmers, said that during the last three years butter production had declined by 30,360 tons, and cheese by 315 tons, and this represented a loss of £4,000,000 in-New Zealand's sterling funds in London; "Had the industry continued to expand at the normal rate," he said, "there would have been at least £7,000,000 additional in our sterling funds today, and this meeting, would not have been necessary. "Here let me say a word to the farmers whom I represent today. There is no intention at this meeting of asking for the lifting of the import restrictions. Mr. Gainor Jackson will tell you, on behalf of the importers and merchants of Auckland city, that they realise that .this would be a calamity at the present juncture, that they know there is only one method by which import restrictions can be safely lifted, namely, by an increase in the exports of primary produce sufficient to rehabilitate sterling funds in London. "On behalf of the fanners I assure the business people that, if they will aim at that objective, the farmers will be behind them to a man. "The Government is asking for our co-operation. We point out that co- , operation is two-sided, and we ask for the co-operation of the Government. The farmer refuses' to be impressed, for instance, by Mr. Savage's messages over the air, while he permits his friend Mr. Scrimgeour to attack farmers and farmers' organisations over the air -with his poisonous propaganda." RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED. Three resolutions were adopted by the meeting. The first, on behalf of importers, employers, small retailers, and builders, was: — That this meeting declares that citizens of this part of the Dominion are ready and willing to co-operate with the remainder of the community upon a broad, national, and «&ictly constitutional basis, in any

efforts that may be made to restore overseas funds from the shortage from which the community as a whole must inevitably suffer. Further, this meeting requests the Government to take steps to alleviate such of the wrongs from which the community is suffering as can be remedied immediately, and asks the Government for an assurance that it will call a halt in the policy of deliberately controlling the whole economic structure of this Dominion under the guise of war emergency. The second resolution was on behalf oi employees:— That this mass meeting of employees of retail businesses in the Waikato expresses immediate concern as to future employment, and urges the Government to modify the import control regulations. The third was the following motion, moved by Mr. A. J. Sinclair, Te Awamutu, and seconded by Mr. W. N. Perry, Cambridge:— That this meeting of Waikato farmers desires to impress upon the j Government that constant rises in internal costs and lack of adequate skilled labour on farms, through men being attracted to other avenues of industry by higher wages and shorter hours, have defeated the principles of the guaranteed price scheme and are creating injustices to the community by discouraging that increased production which well-con-ceived Government policy would have fostered, thus creating a potential loss of millions of pounds in sterling funds; further, in existing i circumstances, we are compelled to ask the Government for a clear statement specifying its intentions in the direction of reducing costs on farms and up to the point of shipment, and outlining the steps it intends to take towards placing the farming community in a position to secure adequate skilled labour at rates and conditions comparable with those enjoyed by other sections of the community rendering equal service.