DAIRYING IN THE WAIMEAS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 19 April 1934, Page 8

DAIRYING IN THE WAIMEAS

ARE WE HEADING FOR BANKRUPTCY? (To the Editor) Sir. —Don't you think it is about time we took a review of the conditions prevailing in our surrounding district to-day and try to visualise what is going to happen—not only tc the Waiined farmers hut to the citizens and businessmen of Nelson city. Wo are interdependent and as one combined body we must lace the; facts staring us so significantly in the face. To begin with it is necessary to state that our city has been built on the produetaliilily of the Waimea Plains. Without those products it might as well have been built on Farewell Spit.

You. must realise that it is nneause over 700 dairy farmers of the Waimeas and immediate district are .depressed and in the ma jority cf cases practically bankrupt and have nothing to spend in yom- city, (hat your business houses are half-staffed and your boys and girls unemployed. Do you realise that 70 per cent, of the farmers in tliis district have not paid any mortgage for these last four or five yejrs. and all that accumulated interest will have to be paid before there is anything to spend in tlie city? .About 75 per cent, of the farms are deteriorating for want of top-dressing and that lias to be made up in the future before a surplus can be created. Now let us take a peep into the future from the viewpoint as things stand today. It must be admitted that we have only one overseas market to-day and that is England For' years we have been hoping for the recovery of England from the slump, expecting through her rccoveiy cur economic trouble would cease. But what is the position now? Nationalism is the one big word to-day and the sooner we realise it the better. England is coming into line with the rest of tlie world Imperialism is either dead or dying fast. Did not tlie last English government get returned oil a. partial Empire preference and protection issue? And did we not look for and expect great things from that Government ♦with its preponderance of Imperialists in its assembly?

But what has happened? England has made trade treaties with all our competitors, including Russia, and our greatest competitor, Denmark, with her mass co operative buying and selling and other privileges obtained in her trade agreement with England. Denmark has over-ridden her 15 per cent, tariff barrier and with her geographical advantages has cot New Zealand in her bag. Mr W. Elliot. Alinister of Agriculture. has been given'a free hand He is a young and ambitious statesman and bv" all accounts a great leader. The whole country is behind him, and his political future depends on what he makes of this job. From correspondence received from Home I am informed that public school hoys and university students are nearly all going ‘back to the land’. What is this going to mean to New Zealand? Lois of people here think that England is a country of bricks and mortar, but they are mistaken There are millions of' acres of good productive land, out of cultivation, that has been used mostly for game reserves, which under Mr Elliot’s scheme will again be brought under cultivation.

It is being made worth the while with her five millions subsidy and drastic restrictions on her dairying imports and millions of able and capable men out of work

While England is expanding her fanning industry our business with her will automatically be diminished, and as G.B.S. lias stated, she is quite justified in protecting her own farmers. We have our own Cabinet Alblisters calling a special meeting to try to find a way out of tliis disaster. Now, sir. what can we do to meet flu’s crisis—for crisis it is—and perhaps the worst that has ever struck New Zealand. If wo cannot, as farmers, balance our budget on the conditions prevailing at present, what is going to happen when a 20 jjer cent, reduction on our output is enforced? Air Poison has no remedy; Good fellow has no remedy ; and neither lias our Government. There seems to he no remedy in sight, but there is a little we can do by cooperating and co-ordinating every force and factor appertaining to the welfare of our local economic conditions. A lew weeks ago you had your shop windows decorated with slogans- -“Buy Nelson Goods” —“Spend your money in Nelson!” If Nelson farmers had been prosperous there would have been no need to display those cards. What are you doing to keep, your farmers prosperous? You are helping to keep them poor and penniless by importing your butter and cheese from every angle of the Dominion when you have a butter and Cheese factory at your very doors, with product equal to any in New Zealand. It is your business and the foun. elation of your very existence. Ho you know that"not long ago we farmers had to pay one of vour business men £SOO commission one year, to persuade you to buy a little of your own butter, while it is on the returns -of that butter that you exist. If you had a real patriot in your midst and he was appointed dictator while this crisis lasts lie would demand that not a pound of butter or cheese he imported. In fact, not one commodity would be imported into Nelson that could be produced here. This is the method adopted by Hitler and Mussolini, and all Nationalist leaders to-day, including W. Elliot, who is demanding restriction on our exports. As England's dairying industry expands her restrictions will become more severe.

Sir, Ibis may appear a very pessimistic letter, but have you a man in your city who can paint a brighter future, because if you have we farmers would like to know him, as, candidly, we dread the future. There is not one bright spot on the dairy farmers’ horizon. Has it ever been mooted at any ' of vour city institutes that the founda- 1 lion of vour economic, structure is crumbling, and likely to fall at anytime? Has it ever appeared to you, par- i ticularly with such a crisis in our midst j —Hie worst in our history—that charity begins at home and that, every pound ( of hotter, cheese, bacon, or any other commodity that could be produced ! here, imported into Nelson is keeping ! your men and your boys and girls out of work. By importing these products in ; this present crisis you are contributing : to the employment and upkeep of some other city while vour own citizens were never in more need of help. 'This smash and grab business ought to cease. We talk of patriotism. Did we ever need il more than we do 10-day? Von expect; rightly your farmers to spend their money in Nelson and is it not just that you should reciprocate that principle. You would not think it a sporting act il the farmers imported their goods from other cities. Under the present eondilions the whole concern should be re.(instructed and every effort made to conserve the little we have. Don’t von think there is something wrong when vour children’s future health is being • impaired for want of milk while vour farmers are shipping thousands of gallons weekly—at about 2,Jd a gallon—out ni your own nort, and unemployed parents are having to pay Is 8d a gallon : fm> war price). Where arc your city j fathers? Or where are your ’Legionist j

I super statesmen, oij arc you going to leave it for the Communists to solve? j If you will grant me the space there is one more subject 1 want to touch on ; and that is the closing down of the YVaimea cheese factory, which was decided ;by the directors three weeks ago. Two' or three of the suppliers have reduced their herds, making the overhead expenses too heavy lor those still wishing to carry on. The. secretary has worked i-d to try to get the necessary pliers and iic being a competent judge maintains that the closing of this factory is the most suicidal act that our local farmers could be guilty of, seeing that our greatest trouble to-day is the want of markets for dairy produce. Ho also maintains that with an output of 95 tons of cheese we would practically be guaranteed 9d per lb for butter fat on the present state of the market, seeing that Wo have a local market absorbing 26 tons of cheese a year, with a possibility of raising it another 10 to 15 • tons. Sixpence a pound for cheese which is ottr local selling price, is equivalent to Is per lb net for butter fat to the supplier. If we could carry on our manager lias volunteered to reduce his wages £SO a year. This closing of the factory is a very vital issue, as it not only affects the Waimca dairy farmers hut the business people of Nelson district generally. If we do not carry on it means that an outside factory will take possession of our local market and may not contribute one shilling to the prosperity of our district. li, is nothing short of madness to throw away a local I and profitable business for a very 'uncertain and diminishing one. Last year, a very dry season, there was. an output of 75 tons of cheese. There are about 70 more cows needed to guarantee a staple and profitable business. I Hoping the Waimea- dairy farmers J will wake up and prevent this catastro- j phe.—l am, etp., \V. KEEN. 1 Richmond, 18th April.