DISCRIMINATION—WHY?

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 8 March 1943, Page 4

DISCRIMINATION—WHY?

THE experience of Nelson potatogrowers with Government-controlled marketing has been anything but a happy one. Besides being unable to quit a good proportion of their early crops before deterioration set in they are now being discriminated against in regard to price. Nelson is among the earliest districts to place new potatoes on the metropolitan market. Before these came under regulation

last year they were fetching handsome prices which even the growers themselves admitted were too high for the average consumer. Then control came along and, mainly because growing and marketing conditions in this district are more akin to those in the North Island than in the South, Nelson was included along with the North Island in the gazetted schedule of fixed prices. For the period 7th November to the end of February this schedule was from £4 to £l7/10/a ton lower than the prices for the rest of the South Island. In the main season the position is reversed. The South Island (formerly minus Nelson) has the lower schedule of prices, and the North Island (formerly including Nelson) the higher. In the order gazetted on Ist March, however, Nelson has been switched from the North Island to the South Island price list which, for this month, is from £2 to £2/10/a ton lower than the North Island fixed price. Thus, apart from their other worries about selling their potatoes, Nelson growers this year are being asked by the Government to accept a double imposition—the lower schedule for their early crop and the lower schedule for the main crop. As to why they have been singled out for this special treatment no explanation has been forthcoming. There may be one and the Farmers’ Union should not b£ backward in asking for it. Mr R. C. T. Raine says the sheep and pigs have been turned into some of the crops, probably because they have spoiled while waiting for a market in a season when the Government and the Primary Production Council urged us*all to grow every potato possible. Both in lower prices and heavier charges the new price order is discriminatory against Nelson growers and against them alone. The reason for it should be elicited publicly on the floor of the House by the member for Nelson.