DAIRY INDUSTRY TO REGAIN CONTROL OF PRODUCE EXPORTS

Evening Star, Issue 26154, 16 July 1947, Page 6

DAIRY INDUSTRY TO REGAIN CONTROL OF PRODUCE EXPORTS

(Special.) WELLINGTON, July- 16. •“ After 11 years of the guaranteed price in New Zealand I am of the opinion that not a dairy farmer in the country wants to go back to the opUn market system,” said the Minister of Agriculture, Mr E. L. Cullen, who moved the second reading of the Dairy Marketing: Commission Bill in the House of last night. The discussion was interrupted by the adjournment and will be resumed to-night. Mr Cullen traced the history of the guaranteed price and claimed that the farmers had been able to finance on the basis of a known return, that, prices of dairy stock had been stabilised, except in the case of the town milk supplies, and that the repercussions of fluctuating prices, not only on farmers, but also on manufacturers, business men, and wage earners, had beeii avoided." Since the introduction ■ot, the guaranteed 1 price a large percentage of dairy farmers had repaid mortgages and improved their farms. PLENTY “ IN THE KITTY.” It had . been said that with the Dairy Commission the Government was running away or giving the baby up, said Mr Cullen, On the contrary, he claimed, the Government would still be in close co-operation with the industry and' would guarantee it. The commission was in a very sound position to start off with from £8,000,000 to £9,000,000 “in the kitty ” this year. “1 wish, indeed, that the woolgrowers and the fruit and honey producers were in the same position today,”, he added. Had /the Wool Board accepted a guaranteed price the wool industry would be in a sound position. The scheme, predicted the Minister, would be a great success, and it. meant a great step forward that the dairy industry would be able to fix the guaranteed price for its products “ PROMISED THE MOON.” The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Holland, paid a higlf tribute to the 57,000 dairy farmers of the Dominion, who had. he said, produced £283,000,000 worth of produce for export during the 11 years, the Labour Government had been in power. Labour, when'in Opposition, had promised the dairy farmers the moon, and it was thought they held the key to some new technique in marketing. The advent of Labour to power saw the passing in 1936 of- the Primary Products Marketing Act, and now, after 10 long years of wrangling, during which the farmers had been fooled, they were seeing a Bill to do away with that system of marketing. Our dairy farmers,” he continued, “are now entitled to _ rejoice in the measure of freedom .'which is being restored to them,, hecause the Bill pro-. vides some measure of producer control.” Mr Holland suggested that the Labour .Party’s promises in .1935 enabled them to win 15 seats in the farming .districts,, but lie challenged the Government to''namenmore tbferfe. one which It . had beenv able to hold, the exception being Raglan;, held by 13 votes after an alteration ,bf boundaries to enable the Government to hold it. AVhile the leaders of-the industry approved of , the-Bill, he was sure'many of them, and many of the rank and file of farmers,"lvvefe still far from .satisfied. ‘

“ The farmers will welcome the step that is being taken towards ultimate freedom and a step away from ultimate Socialism, but they can: never get- their full freedom .until they have a change of Government,” said Mr Holland. The Minister of Finance, Mr W>. Nash, explained that the Bill originated from a statement made during the election campaign and included in the Labour Party’s manifesto. After dealing with the. history of the guaranteed price system, Mr Nash emphasised that the. present large surplus in the Dairy Industry Account would be handed oyer unconditionally to the industry. The dairy farmers, he contended, were better off than ever before. 9 Mr W. S. Goosman (Nat., Piako): Nonsense. Mr Nash answered that mortgages were less and there were more amenities on the farms. It was admitted that the dairy farmers worked long hours during the milking season, and that this work extended over seven days, but the farmer was_ entitled to some compensation for this, and that was recognised. * ■ s.