FAITH IN FUTURE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22280, 15 March 1947, Page 6

FAITH IN FUTURE

LORD BLEDISLOE PRICE FALL UNLIKELY VITAL FOOD SUPPLIES (P.A.) WELLINGTON, March 14. He was certain there was no reason to believe there would be any real slump in the prices of food or fats for many years ahead, said Viscount Bledisioe. addressing the Royal Agricul-’ tural Society of New Zealand yesterday as immediate past president of the Royal Agricultural Society of England. Viscount Bledisloe said that the cry of over-production was a false one. There had been not over-production, but gross under-consumption and maldistribution of food on a world scale in the past. The United Nations had determined that it was not in the interests of the world that more than half of its people should be inadequately fed. If the United Nations policy was put into effect the demand for foodstuffs and fats would be maintained and a continuance of reasonable prices could be expected. Under such a policy there would certainly be no alternating booms and slumps. More Confidence in Future

“I feel you can go forward with much greater confidence in the future," said Viscount Bledisloe, “because this work on the world food problem is being led by that distinguished expert, my friend Sir Jojin Boyd-Orr, under whom you are going to have a very strong policy that must increase the consumption of food not only in the Empire but over the whole world.”

Viscount Bledisloe said that considering the fact that the New Zealand farming industry had lost some 40 per cent of its men while the war lasted, the country had a bigger output than ever for the number of workers involved.

Since the war ended the British farming industry had lost its women workers. Further, more than a quarter of the farm workers in Britain recently had been German prisoners of war Now the country would be faced with a more serious lack of labour than ever.

Will “Slick It Out” Again

He. believed that the people at Home just as they “stuck it out” during the war. would do so under present postwar conditions. The fear was, however. that although the people were not going to be starved, their inadequate diet might impair their capacity to maintain the output of manufactured goods which was so essential to the solvency of Great Britain. No country had more adequately done its bit in the present time of trial than had New Zealand, but he hoped that in the next two difficult years New Zealand would be able to enter into still bigger contracts in the matter of food with the British Government. No material improvement in the present critical situation could be expected for at least 18 months, and anything that would help to cope with it would be deeply appreciated. “I hope I have not left a pessimistic impression in your minds,” concluded Viscount Bledisloe. “because we want to retain our confidence in the future and see through our difficulties and frustrations to a brighter and happier day.”