Readers Write

Northern Advocate, 9 July 1938, Page 4

Readers Write

I read with astonishment a;: article by Mr H. C. Rishworth published in your oaoer on the seventh instant. =

May I say that it is i just as well that? there are few people ! who will agree with 1 Mr Rishworth's contentions. It is well I known that New Zealand has never ] been more prosperous, and always will be prosperous, under a Government' whose legislation is dictated by sound j social principles, such as we find the j present Government's to be. j The Labour Government is making j a real attempt to tackle the problems' of life with which every man is con- ■ fronted, and is striving to make each! person's lot a happy one. From my' observation of Tory legislation, I have found that their ultimate aim is to seek to enrich the few of the community at the expense of the mass.' It must be remembered that workers can produce every class of goods and services except money, which, in fact, i has no real value, being merely tokens, and it is a fair thing that they should be permitted to share as far as is equitable in the production of the country which l's the direct result of their labour.

I am disappointed that a man of apparently Mr Rishworth’s standing has not thought sufficiently on these matters before launching himself on an article of such a nature.—S. M. FALSTEIN, 8.A., LL.B.

My object in writing is to give further publicity to a matter already dealt with in your leader of July 2.

I refer to that portion of the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company's annual report dealing with the past year's operations at Moerewa works. The statistics quoted reveal the somewhat disquieting fact that in all classes of stock, except cattle, there has been a marked reduction in numbers handled as compared with the previous year. In view of the opinion expressed by competent authorities that a considerable expansion in the stock trade has taken place over the period in question, one is forced to the conclusion that a large proportion of our Northland farmers' stock is not being handled at the works whi'ch they themselves own and operate. The A.F.F.Co., through its Moerewa works, has in the past given splendid service to our farmers, and they would do well to pause before disposing of their stock through channels whereby the advantage to be gained through using their own works would be handed to rival concerns.

The position in •countries where the freezing industry is in the hands of a monopoly is well known. There competition is practically nil and the producer simply has to take whatever price is handed out to him. Our best safeguard against the development of similar conditions here is to build up and maintain the strength of our own company by giving it an increasing volume of business to handle. In the disposal of their stock, our Northland farmers, in their own best interests, would do well to see that wherever possible it is handled by their own Moerewa works. —ALEX CLARKE (Whareora).

Your leader in the “Advocate” of July 2 re Moerew<a freezing works and lack of support given should give the farmers in SUPPORT Northland food for seriMOEREWA. ous thought. The figures quoted are sufficient to cause apprehension, if not alarm, for the future of the works in question and Northland’s farmers in particular. We of the older generation in the North will remember the conditions re the disposal of fat stock that obtained before the works were erected. For all classes of fats, especially pigs -and lambs, there was practically no competition, and fax'mers were obliged to sell at any ridiculous price that was offered them. It will be a calamity if farmers, through indifference in supporting their own works, Cause their closure, or only keep them working at half their capacity. It is only by supporting their own company to its fullest capacity for freezing fat and boner stock that farmers can keep costs to a minimum, as overhead expenses go on the same whether the works are j employed to capacity or not. j Were the A.F.F.Co. not in existence, | would the present charges for freez- j ing be as low as they are at present j in the Auckland Province? I doubt it. !

Another aspect of the position is that it does not 'affect the farmers only, but would cause a definite setback to the development of the North, with consequent loss to the business community, as the wages paid in connection with the industrfy for services rendered circulate back through the tradespeople, who cater for the employees’ requirements. The extra railage to Auckland would be paid not by the buyers of fat stock, but would come out of the farmers’ own pockets. Let us wake up and support our own works, in which we have some £200,000 of our money invested. —TOM GRIFFIN (Kamo).