THE FARMER'S BURDEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22948, 28 January 1938, Page 13

THE FARMER'S BURDEN

Sir, —111 reply to Mr. A. J. G. Schniitt, I was not writing with regard to any particular case and so his lecture on farming methods was hardly in order. Before the guaranteed price came into existence we were promised by Mr. Nash that our labour would bo measured by the same yard stick as other industries —in other words equivalent pay for work done. The Government then fixed the guaranteed price at a level, which for the hours worked by the farmers, was just a sweated labour price, as compared with other industries. Not only that, but they proceeded by legislation to raise our costs and are still raising them so that it is only a question of time before tho extra costs wipe out that reasonable living that Mr. Nash promised us. Today the dairy industry is in a more uncertain position than it has been for a great many years. A guaranteed price which can be altered any moment, want of labour, soaring prices for every article we have to purchase, crushing taxation, are all matters which have a direct bearing 011 our industry. The added burdens imposed 011 us cannot be borne if we arc to maintain any sort of a standard of living, if Government action is to continue raising prices against us. It is sad that the greatest industry in the country should be managed and legislated for by a group of Ministers whose farming knowledge is derived from a pile of statistics. If the Government had tackled the problems of New Zealand with moderation and had relied more on private enterprise there would have been no need of a guaranteed price at all and the farmers would bo in a much better position to-day. 8.8.8.