FARM INTERESTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24875, 22 April 1944, Page 8

FARM INTERESTS

WAIKATO DISCUSSIONS ONE FEDERATION FAVOURED (0.C.) HAMILTON, Friday A lengthy discussion took place at the annual conference of the Waikato subprovince of the Farmers' Union at Hamilton to-day on a remit from le Awamutu, which was finally adopted, urging the Dominion executive to do everything possible to link all the fanners' organisations into one body on a commodity council basis as outlined at the last Dominion conference. "A belated and half-hearted attempt lias latefy been made to correct in some degree the position of production in New Zealand," said the president, Mr. H. Johnstone. "Twelve months of valuable time have passed and we arcnow in the position where we are expected to attempt to cure a disease which over a year ago could have been prevented. The Government sti.ll lacks sympathy and understanding as far as the farmers are concerned." Rehabilitation Question As an example, Mr. Johnstone said that the Local Elections and Polls •Amendment Act was ill-considered and ill-timed, attacking the rights of the farmers as it did. II the Government wanted maximum production, it should realise that it would not be achieved by straining farmers' loyalty to breaking point. Furthermore, the Farmers' Union would have to agitate for a more active policy toward the rehabilitation question. After four and a-half years of war there was still no definite plan formulated. Although the country's prosperity would depend on the agricultural products it was able to export, of the 20,000 servicemen who had returned from overseas fewer than 1 per cent had been settled on the land. Post-war Policy A remit from the Te Kowhai branch, suggesting a preliminary policy to be adopted immediately at the close of the war period, was passed for submission to the Auckland conference. Ihe clauses of the remit asked that all farmers should receive full exchange value on their produce; that hospital and reading rates should be totally abolished; that all broadcasting should be controlled by a board elected by licence-holders on the same basis as the Meat Board; and that the Government should be requested to set up a committee, half of whom should be nominees of farming organisations, in order to redraft the Land Sales Act. The following- officers were elected: —President, Mr. H. Johnstone (Wbatawhata); vicepresidents. Messrs. A. E. Bryant (Ie Awamutu) and W. A. Perry (Bruntwood); treasurer. Mr. W. L. Ranstead; auditor, Mr. \\. B. Gumming MOVE FOR UNITY SUPPORT AT PUKEKOHE DOMINION ORGANISATION (0.C.) PUKEKOHE. Friday With the ultimate aim of welding all primary producers' organisations in a Dominion-wide body a meeting of more than 300 farmers at Pukekohe to-night decided unanimously to ask the executives of the various sections of the primary producers to get together and make the New Zealand Farmers' Federation an active organisation. Mr. J. N. Massey, M.P., presided. The principal speaker was Mr. N. P. Adams, president of the Auckland branch of the Sheepowners' Federation, who said the federation of primary-pro-ducing bodies had been formed about four years ago. It embraced 14 sections of primary producers, and the Dairy Board and the Meat Board took part in its deliberations without being part of the organisation. The federation had reached such a stage that unless it received support from al! producers it was not going to fulfil the functions for which it had been formed, the speaker continued. The farming industry was not united, and until unity was achieved no section could approach the Government with proposals'feeling that it had the whole weight of the producers behind it. Individual sections could achieve little. There were at present minor differences between the Sheepowners' Federation and the Farmers' Union, but they had hopes that adjustments would be made shortly. Unity was to-day uppermost in the minds of farmers. Mr. R. J. Glasgow, representing the Farmers' Union, said he had never seen so much unrest among farmers before. They would achieve nothing until they linked in general co-operation. Other speakers representing commercial gardeners, beekeepers, poultryfarmers and dairy producers also spoke in favour of the federation proposals. SOLDIERS ON THE LAND RESERVE FOR BAD SEASONS (0.C.) , HAMILTON. Friday The first returned serviceman from this war to have been placed on the land under the rehabilitation scheme, Mr. D. Evans, of liuntly, stated at the annual conference of the Waikato subprovince of the Farmers' Union to-day that the scheme was good as far as it went. There was, however, one serious omission—no provision was made for any financial reserve for the protection of the farmer against a bad season. Mr. Evans pointed out- that the first few seasons on any farm were the most difficult, and where there had been two bad seasons in succession the returned man was forced to reduce production even further, because of lack of funds. ■ The aim of the rehabilitation scheme should be to give the serviceman financial backing which would enable him to begin his farming career with the maximum production. A sub-committee from the conference was set up to formulate a remit to be sent to Auckland asking that such provision should be made. FORMER PRISONERS ADDRESSING OF LETTERS (P A.) WELLINGTON. FridayIt is announced by the PostmasterGeneral, the Hon. P. C. Webb, that iu future letters for prisoners of war who escaped to Switzerland from Italian prison camps should, in cases in which the present addresses of the men concerned are not known, he addressed to "Camp Internment, Militaire, Wil, St. Qalien, Switzerland." and not care of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, London, as formerly advised. The Minister stated that, on the other hand, in cases in which letters had been received from men who escaped to Switzerland from Italy, and whose letters bear the addresses of the •writers, the addresses given by the writers should be used when replying.