FARMERS’ TROUBLES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 9, 8 December 1932, Page 5

FARMERS’ TROUBLES

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Lee. 7. Following a lengthy discussion at its meeting yesterday of the very grave difficulties facing the producers at the present time, a committee ol the Dairy Board, consisting of Messrs W. A. Torus (chairman), Dynes Pulton and T. A. Winks, interviewed the Prime Minister (Kt. Hon. G. W. Forbes) and lit. Hon. J. G. Coates, urging that something be done to re- 1 lieve the desperate plight of the farm-! ers consequent upon tile further dras- ’ tic fall in prices. • They received a most sympathetic hearing, and it was arranged that Cabinet would meet the Dairy Board eariy in the New Year. The'Dairy Board discussion yesterday foliowed the receipt of communication from the South Auckland Dai/y Association, which stated that its executive viewed with grave apprehension the decision of the banks in refusing to increase the rate of exchange to 25 per cent., and that it expressed the unanimous opinion that the board should wait on Parliament and urge, the need for an increase, and, further, that it should solicit the support of all kindred associations and farmers’ organisations. Mr Dynes Fulton outlined the position of many dairy farmers to-day, stating that up till the recent drop in prices they had been hanging in the balance, but that now there was a danger'that many would actually walk off their farms through being entirely unable to meet current liabilities. Mr W. Grounds said the Government had definitely failed the country last year when it refused to allow the exchange rate to rise naturally, but he questioned seriously whether to-day a higher exchange rate would be adequate. -The Government had to do something a great deal more in the way of assistance to farmers, or the whole farming community would be bankrupt. Mr lorns said the position was certainly grave, and he agreed entirely with Mr Fulton that it was the board’s duty to make overtures to the Government on the industry’s perilous position. Mr I f.lton expressed the opinion that a deputation should wait on Cabinet urging the need for immediate assistance. The deputation met the Prime Minister and Mr Coates this eyening and placed before them the facts regarding the very serious position in which the j industry was placed, urging the need for immediate Government action. It ] was urged, on behalf of the farming I community, that the situation had ' been gravely accentuated by the further serious fall in prices, and that I there was now a very real danger of j farmers not being forced off their farms, but of having to walk off because the whole of their income would not meet current liabilities. The

board members traversed fully the changes that had recently occurred due to the drop in the price of butter, and pointed out that the pay-out of 8d to was all that was justified at present, and that this placed the whole community in a perilous position. Unless relief could be granted the farmer, it was impossible for there to be any real improvement in the Dominion generally. In their replies both the Prime Minister and Mr Coates showed a keen appreciation of the present position and the plight of the producers. It was arranged that early in the New Year the Dairy Board should meet Cabinet and place before it details regarding the actual position of the dairying industry, so that cognisance could be taken of this when rneas-

ures were being brought down to deal with the situation generally.