Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12th., 1934. FARMERS7 UNION.

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 October 1934, Page 6

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12th., 1934. FARMERS 7 UNION.

TpHE executive meeting of the Xew Zealand Farmers’ Union discussed, this week, various topics of importance, but little finality was reached. Some of the problems facing farmers are too difficult to be solved in a hurry, but it does appear that a little more courage in decision by farmers’ gatherings would be beneficial. Complaint was raised, and not without cause, that Ministers are too prone to evasion of Union requests, consideration only being promised when definite action is needed. Ministers might retort that farmers themselves, are not. free from a similar failing, and that in some cases, remits are approved at conferences which no is expected Io take very seriously.

Moreover, farmers’ reluctance to help themselves is a bar to progress. Take for instance, the opposition to the wool research levy, earnestly advocated by most Ministers, and others as a measure that tvoidd prove a profitable investment. Tt has been proved that huge sums are lost to New Zealand farmers annually by the quality of much of the wool produced being inferior. Scientific research promises to effect a remedy, enabling farmers to profit considerably, and if would,have been thought that those the seient Ists were endeavouring to help would have been enthusiastic in support. On the contrary. the opposition was such that the bill has been dropped. The hostility was not to the scientific research, so much as to the proposed levy per bale, it being claimed that the State should bear the cost. This reliance on State aid has become a fetish with many farmers, who have been unduly encouraged to look for subsidies. They now regard as a right what was once considered to be a favour.

One result of the asking-for-the-moon policy, is that the legitimate grievances of farmers are apt to be belittled. For example, the protest of the Grey Valley Farmers’ Union against the difficulty of obtaining labour because of the Unemployment Board’s policy, is well-found-ed. It is wrong that in these days of unemployment, farmers in all parts of the country are unable to get the employees necessary to carry on the seasonal operations. Without going so far as to agree with the claim that ‘'‘the prosperity of the Dominion depends solely and wholly on the primary producers,” the importance of their industry is self-evident, and their labour-needs must be met. There is little doubt that the unemployment relief facilities available in various directions compete with farmers for the labour supply. Hence the paradox arises of the country being heavily taxed to help I he “unemployed” who decline to go where work is available. Were the Farmers’ Union executive to concentrate their energies on questions such as these, there would be less room for complaint of Ministerial consideration being valueless.