Fixing the Guaranteed Price

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 167, 16 July 1937, Page 5

Fixing the Guaranteed Price

Farmers Want to Have More Say SPECIAL TRIBUNAL PROPOSAL. ; Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. A motion that a tribunal presided over by a Supreme Court Judge, holding office for eight or ten years, should compute the price of dairy produce, was carried by the conference of the Farmers’ Union to-night. It is proposed the tribunal be appointed by a committee consisting of equal numbers of members nominated by the dairy industry and the Government, that the price should be determined on the evidence accepted by the Government and that the proceedings and findings of the tribunal be treated as those of the Arbitration Court are. “It is most unfair that the Government, who are the sole buyers of produce, should nominate the committee who are even to advise it,” said Mr. D. B. Higgins (Auckland), who moved the motion. “The committee, while they may claim to be farmers, are not representatives of the farmers. We did not elect them and have no say at all. We feel in future wo should have & right to elect an equal number of members. We do not mind who the Government elect so long as we have that right. Even if we get a compensated price wo shall have to have a committee.” The following remits also were carried:— “That this conference calls the attention of the Government to the increasing mountain of costs primary industries are being called upon to bear with no opportunity of passing these costs on to consumers as is possible in every other department of industry and commerce, and expresses the emphatic opinion that a substantial addition to the price for butterfat and cheese for the current season is essential if tho farmers’ standard of living is not to be reduced further and the productive capacity of farms jeopardised.” “That this conference opposes the recent action of the Internal Marketing Department in increasing the retail price of bacon by 3d per lb. without any corresponding increase in tho price ! to the producer.” Among some of the remits touching the Government’s land administration adopted by the conference was one urging the Government to investigate its undeveloped and deteriorated lands , with a view to making the lands re-venue-producing under practical super- j vision. Asserting that the Govern- ! ment’s policy to deteriorated lands was “outrageous,” Mr. W. J. Poison said that, when times were good, the Government would farm land, and when they were bad, someone else would. It was time the whole subject was investigated. Mr. H. Hunt (North Taranaki) said somo counties were almost bankrupt through loss of rates on deteriorated land that had reverted to the Crown. ; A plank that the Government facili- j tate the taking up of land by suitable j settlers with small amounts of capital ' was added to the policy of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. A remit from the combined conference at Dannevirke asking the Government to bring down a policy of closer settlement was not approved. Follow- j ing a discussion, the president said I that, if they either passed the remit or rejected it, they would give a wrong impression. He suggested its withdrawal, ami this was agreed to. A motion that the system of land ! valuation be so amended as to give a j more equitablo system of arriviug at i the unimproved value for land tax, sent to the conference as a remit from North Taranaki, was adopted.