FARMING IN BRITAIN

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 April 1938, Page 12

FARMING IN BRITAIN

' SKILLED LABOUR SHORTAGE. | . j [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] | AUCKLAND, April IS. I “We do not see why farming should 'not be taken out of the realm of ’gambling and be made a more, secure profession,” said Sir Reginald Dor-man-Smith, president of the National Farmers’ Union of England, who was ‘a through passengei* on the Niagara. He has been' attending the conference of British Empire Primary Producers at Sydney, and he described the conference as 100 per cent successful. Sir Reginald Dorman-Smith lias been member of Parliament for the Pctersfield division of Hampshire since 1935. He was bom in 1899 and was educated at Harrow and Sandhurst. He served with the 15th Indian Army and sth Battalion, Queen s Royal Regiment. He is a farmer with lands in Surrey and Hampshire, proving successful as a dairy farmer and igrazier. ( Great hopes of placing the farming industry on a sounder footing in Biit.ain as a result of the Sydney conference are entertained by Sir Reginald. If. they were able to carry through the decisions that had been made at Sydney, he said, they would have made a great contribution towards that end. Protection was given to machinery in England, but all classes for farming purposes, were not manufactured in England. For instance, certain kinds of tractors had to be imported. “There is an acute shortage of skilled labourers for farms' in England,” ho added. “Since. 1937 something like GO,OOO workers have abandoned the land and are now engaged in mines, quarries and various branches of industry. The basic farm wage is slightly more than 34/- a week, but a higher figure is paid farm' labourers. Wages arc regulated by independent bodies in the counties. These bodies comprise representatives of the workers and employers and three independent, members. If two parties fail to agree, the independent members make their decision, which is ratified or rejected! by the Minister for Agriculture.” Sir Reginald paid a. tribute, to the New Zealand delegates to the Sydney conference, and said that; the Dominion president of the New Zealand Farmers' Union (Mr W-. W. Mulholland) and Mr H. 0. Mellsop, president of the Auckland Provincial Farmers’ Union, had made notable contributions to the conference. The Dominion delegates were- an asset to the conference, and New Zealand farmers had every reason to he proud of their leaders. . Sir Reginald l was accompanied by Lady Dorman-Smith and other members of the National Farmers’ Union of England and Wales. Canadian reipicsentatives were also passengeis l on tho Niagara.' All the delegates were agreed that the conference had served a useful purpose, and looked forward to the beneficial effect of the sound marketing of primary produce.

SYDNEY CONFERENCE. AUCKLAND, April 18. New Zealand, English and Canadian delegates who attended the Empire Primary Producers’ Conference at 'Sydney, were passengers by the Niagara, which arrived to-day. The overseas members regret that time does not permit them to tour New Zealand. All agreed that the conference was a great, success, this being the first time in history that the Empire primary producers had met to consider problems of common interest to all-

“If the decisions made in Sydney are carried into effect, they will be most helpful in ensuring a continuous supply to the British market,” said Mr H. E. Mellsop, vice-president of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. “The conference recognised the necessity of making a search for a foreign market lor our surplus production.” PRODUCE CONTROL.

WELLINGTON, April lf»

The principal New Zealand dele- ' gates to the Empire Producers’ Conference in Sydney returned by the Awatea, to-day. Discussing the future of the British .market for Dominion produce, Mr Polson, M.P., saoid there was no escape from the conviction that restriction loomed in the future, if New Zealand and Australia were to continue developing.

“Briefly,” said Mr Polson, “the position simply is that the British market ,is not an increasing market, because the population is stationary, and the authorities seem to agree with the English delegates who expressed the opinion that it might recede. Clearly, everything was to be gained by regulation of supply, instead of haphazard .method. The conference realised, .however, that behind the regulation of supply there must be the spectre of restriction for countries which were bound to develop.”

' Mr Poison said the English delegates had been essentially fair, and had said they would do their best to combat restriction. The formation of commodity councils and the plan for .orderly marketing was surely already overdue, and the extraordinary unanimity achieved amongst delegates made one realise that producers generally were awake to the necessity for jordrly markting.

Mr Polson said there was a demand at the conference for producer control without interference by any Government with their products. They discovered in Queensland,, which had had a Labour Givernment for years, the .'Government did not seek to be even I represented on the Producers’ Boards. .The delegates were surprised to find ' there was encouragement for private enterprise. The Dominion President of the New Zealand ; Farmers’ Union, Mr W. W. .Mulholland, said a statement would ,be issued on behalf of the Farmers’ Union delegation, but as it was de.sired to give full consideration to its .preparation it would not be available to-day. Mr Mulholland said there had be&n 'very free and frank discussions affecting -producers’ . interests generally. The atmosphere of the conference was 'exceedingly friendly.