“State, Not Farmers Driving Hard Bargain”

Northern Advocate, 11 November 1939, Page 8

“State, Not Farmers Driving Hard Bargain”

[Special to “Northern Advocate"] PALMERSTON N„ This Day.

A statement denying that the farmers of New Zealand are in any way to blame for hard bargaining with the Imperial Government for the disposal of the Dominion’s dairy produce has been made by the Wellington Central Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union. The statement is as follows: “This executive wishes to record its appreciation of the fair-mindedness of the Imperial Government, as shown by offers which it made for the purchase of our produce. N.Z. Currency. “We wish to make it clear to ail that it Vs only the low purchasing value of our New Zealand currency, in which we are paid by our own Government, which renders the price proposed to be paid to the' dairy farmers so inadequate. “It is our desire to produce to our utmost all the farm produce required by Britain and ourselves, and to sell it at the lowest price possible, having regard to sound farming practice. What Government Wants. “The New Zealand Government has tried to secure the highest possible price for reasons of its own, namely to build up our depleted sterling fund, and to avoid the necessity of paying a price in excess of that received, their difficulty here being that payment of the guaranteed price according to the formula laid down in the Primary Marketing Act has already broken down. “The remedies for this state of affairs are obvious and have frequently been pointed out, but our present intention is to show clearly that the farmers are not in any way to blame for what appears to be hard bargaining on the part of the Government. Farmer’s Position, “We also think that the public should be left in no doubt as to whom to blame for the inevitable further decline in farm production. - “The Dominion president of the Farmers’ Union (Mr Mulholland) has already made this clear in his recent letter to the Prime Minister.

“This meeting wholeheartedly supports the attitude taken by Mr Mulholland at the recent Dominion executive meeting of the Farmers’ Union, and recommends that the farmer s position as affected by the Government’s internal policy be made more public.”