PRODUCERS’ FLEET.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 1978, 21 November 1921, Page 3

PRODUCERS’ FLEET.

PRODUCERS’ COMMITTEE’S PROPOSALS OBJECTED TO. The proposals being brought down by the Producers’ Committee with regard to the establishment of a producers’ shipping fleet, was discussed at very considerable length by the Manawatu Sub-Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union on Saturday. The president moved a resolution opposing the scheme on the grounds of the inequity of the suggested taxation as compared with the proposed ownership, but suggested that the Government should submit proposals to the Chambers of Commerce and the Farmers’ Union for consideration. In speaking to his resolution, the chairman contended that the producers’ interests would be seriously injured by the. imposition of an export tax, and in any case he did not think it would be possible to collect such a tax. Further than that, it would be playing into tjie hands of foreign capitalists, who controlled most of the freezing works of the Dominion. If the Producers’ Committee’s scheme were put into operation, the export tax would be collected by the foreign capitalists through the simple expedient of paying the producers less for their qieat, and at the same time they would be allocated share capital in the shipping business. In the latter case a controlling interest in the line would be secured by these capitalists, and the producers would be as badly off as ever. In reply to Mr McLeavey, who asked how this difficulty was to be surmounted, the chairman said the State would have to take the onus in the same way as the Australian, Canadian and South African Governments had done. Mr Buchanan suggested the establishment of a shipping board representative of the industries allied to primary industries of the Dominion, including the coal miners. Various members expressed appreciation of the trouble Mr Buchanan had gone to to collect data on the question, and agreed with him that steps would have to be taken to combat the influence of the big trusts. It was decided to ask Mr Buchanan to draw up an amplified report on the question for circulation among members, and to discuss the matter at a future date.