The Hawera Star. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1925. FARMERS AND THE STRIKE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 1 October 1925, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1925. FARMERS AND THE STRIKE.

Delivered every evening by 5 o’clock *o Hawera, Macuia. Normauby, Okalawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Alton, Hurleyville, i'a tea, Waverley. Mokoia, Whakamara, Ohaugai, Meremere, Eraser Road, an A rarata.

Farmers and, others intimately connected with the dairying industry will note with interest and satisfaction that the Federation of Taranaki Co-opera-tive Dairy Factories lias taken time by the forelock in the. matter of the shipping hold-up, and is calling a public meeting for Saturday next in order that the situation may be considered. It is not our intention here to anticipate discussion, but \ we would remind producers how closelytheir in-

terests are bound up with the shipping position, and urge upon them to attend Saturday’s gathering if that be at all possible. It so happens that the season this year is considerably later than usual through all the dairying districts of the North Island; hence the effect of the interruption in the shipping services has not yet been felt so severely as it might under normal conditions. But, despite, the bareness of the paddocks and a reminder of winter which lingers in the air, dairy herds will before long be approaching the flush of supply, and any break-down in the machinery of production between the cow’s udder and the: table of the British consumer must be viewed with grave concern. For every week that the seamen remaiji idle now, butter and cheese will be piling up by the ton in our cool stores. The danger is not so much to the product as to the market. Much of the extra storage space which was provided to meet the needs of the war years is still available, so that there should be no great cause to fea.r an overflow "of produce from the stores. But the point is this: Both the Meat Board and the Dairy Board have set in the forefront of their aims the stabilisation and consolidation of the Home market by regular supplies of produce. To some extent regulation is effected through the cool stores in London, but it is essential to the smooth working of the scheme that shipments from this end shall not be interrupted, for any length of time, more particularly in the beginning of a new season. Every producer knows something of the fickleness of the buying public, and it would be disastrous if, at the very time the Empire shopping movement has gained such impetus at Home, the consumers’ favour were to be lost through failure in supplies. Farmers can guard against that by backing the Government in its determination to protect) the industries of the country, and, if the worst comes, by manning the ships themselves.