FLEECING THE FARMER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23378, 21 June 1939, Page 17

FLEECING THE FARMER

! I Sir, —Is it not time the shecpfannors [of this country combined in an endeavour to stop the fleecing of the farmer which is going on at present P Last month I rang a stock firm stating 1 had some fine wether lambs to dispose of. They sent a buyer, who caused me to spend a day and a-half mustering, then offered me the princely sum of 4s Gd per head. Two days after this 1 was in the city purchasing stores and meat. The butcher asked mo 5s for a leg of mutton. Would you call this profiteering? While L was in town I bought a woollen singlet, .1 had to pay lGs Gd for it. as t can only wear a certain brand. When I returned home 1 weighed the singlet, and found there was not quite one pound of wool in it. When i. sold my wool this year 1 got 9}d per pound. The price of my wool sent to market this year came to £l2O, but when L received the cheque after deducting freight, cartage, and woolbroker charges, 1 received the magnificent cheque of £8!). Surely the poor shcepfarmer is getting a good doing from the powers that he. Two years last March 1 bought two tons of fencing wire which cost me £l4 10s per ton. This year 1 wanted to build some divisional fences, but when 1 discovered the price of wire had risen to £27 l®s per ton, I abandoned the idea of this fencing. How can farmers be expected to improve their farms while this fleecing and profiteering is going on? Is there a strong man in our midst to-day who can organise the farmers of the country in such a way to enable* them in future to get a fair deal? If the labouring man wants increased wages with shorter hours he strikes, and generally gets what he wants. If Mr. Hamilton can guarantee the farmers of New Zealand a little bit better treatment than they have had in the past, there will not he the necessity of a third party in Parliament. Disgusted Farmer.