STATE CONTROL OF PRODUCE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 26 November 1936, Page 2

STATE CONTROL OF PRODUCE

FARMERS AND BARLEY PRICES

STATEMENT BY FARMERS’ PRESIDENT

“WILL HAVE TO DIG IN THEIR

TOES”

(United Press Association)

CHRISTCHURCH, 25th November. “The way things are going now, farmers will have to dig their toes in or they will lose control of the whole of their business. There is a tendency not only in regard to barley, but for all of farm produce to be controlled by the State. In the case of barley it would seem that the

Union,

buying interests- have been able to keep very close to the Government during the consideration of prices, while the growers, through not being able to keep a man constantly on the Minister’s doormat; have not been consulted.”

The foregoing statement was made by the president of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, Mr W. W. Mulholland, at to-day’s meeting of the North Canterbury executive of that body, when the action of the Government in fixing next year’s prices for malting barley was under review. The Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, had not kept the promise he had given to barley growers, said Mr R. T. McMillan, when approached on the subject. Some time ago, the Minister had given, he said, an undertaking to growers that they would be consulted before prices were fixed. Unfortunately that had not been sone, and to-day Canterbury growers were asked to accept a price which strangely enough was considerably lower than that allowed in other districts. The prices, as determined, were as follows:— Canterbury and North Otago, 4s a bushel on trucks; Marlborough and Nelson, 4s 3d in store; HaweaLuggate district, 5s on trucks; Arrow-town-Frankton district, 5s on trucks; Garston district, 4s 6d on trucks. At 4s the price to Canterbury growers represented only 3d increase oh last season, which would not nearly meet the increased costs of production with which they had been saddled. He was at a loss to understand why Canterbury growers should be paid as much as Is less than the price conceded to some of the other districts. Clearly the Canterbury growers,had been left “right out in the 'cold,” concluded Mr McMillan. , * The protests of Messrs Mulholland and McMillan were endorsed by the meeting, which referred the whole matter to the union’s barley committee for consideration and report.