FARM PROBLEMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23970, 21 May 1941, Page 11

FARM PROBLEMS

j FUTURE MARKETING CRITICISM OF GOVERNMENT POLICY STATEMENT WANTED "We misused the word crisis in referring to our problems last year," said the provincial president, Mr. H. M. Rushworth, in his presidential address at the opening of the Auckland provincial conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Union yesterday. Those problems would probably sink into insignificance, and much more difficult ones would be coming. The conference was officially opened by "Mr. A. A. Ross, a life member and former provincial president. The need for a clear statement of the Government's policy toward the primary producer was emphasised by the Dominion president, Mr. W. W. Mulholland. who addressed the meeting. He said he had been criticised for saying too much, but he considered it | was no assistance to the war elfort to keep miiot when there wore things to be said. Outlook for Next Season "We anticipated a situation in which wo would be unable to ship all our produce Home before the war ended," Mr. Mulholland said. "But as a country wo have perhaps been lulled into a false security in this respect. It came as somewhat of a shock when we learned there would be difficulties regarding transport. Looking to the future one should say that at the moment there will he a considerable amount of perishable produce which cannot be exported." The farmers of Canada had to keep something like 50 per cent of their wheat production. In Australia a similar position was averted by the j drought. "Wo are told by the Government | that they cannot say what next season's ! policy will be because the position is always changing," Mr. Mulholland con- ' tinned. "In general terms the position has not changed since the beginning of the year, and that excuse has failed. We knew then there would be a certain portion of our produce we could not ship" and we will have these difficulties next season "Lack of Courage" "Knowing this the Government is in • a position to make these decisions —if it i would face the issue. We do not want i the Government to lay down a detailed '(Plan, we will be satisfied with the clari--1 ncation of the main points at issue. What is the Government policy regarding the sale for produce next season? There is no factor in the general situation going to change sufficiently to make a decision on general policy 1 invalid. "The Prime Minister has said that no section of the community will be allowed to bear a major disaster unaided. I asked Mr. Nash if a 25 per cent fall in the farmer's income would come under that head, and he was unable to say. It is lack of courage to face the position as they know it to be that is preventing the Government from j giving us what we want." Mi 1 . Mulholland said panicky restricI tions on production were not wanted. What was needed was for the Government to enable the farmer to maintain i the productive capacity of his farm unimpaired. They wanted to know what amount of produce was going into store, because that would have an effect on post-war marketing, and they had to determine what they could reasoni ably market after the war. | At the present time, he concluded, they did not want a party Government, It offered no hope for efficient leadership because it had always to consider .the effect of its decisions on the members of the party it represented. The only remit passed during the day was one urging the total abolition of rates on agricultural lands.