NEW ZEALAND PALMING

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4303, 12 March 1901, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND PALMING

jIUDEESS BY MB FIELD, M.H.B

A considerable number of persons interested in farming pursuits respoude to tho invitation of the* roceiitly-toriii .d Upper Hutb branch of tho Now Zealand Farmers’ Onion, to attend a meeting at that place on Saturday evening, for the purpose of hearing an address by cho inrmbi'r for the district (Mr \v. H. Field), who has lately returned from & visit to South Australia, where he inauc inquiries into the workings ot the Suitecontrolled producers’ depots and matters connected generally-with tho tanning community. Mr Goorgo Brown presided. Mr Field thanked the chairman foi tho compliment paid him, and said that though one was not always ab.c to do as much ns one would like to, nothing afforded him greater pleasure than m doing the best he could in the way of promoting tho interests of his constituents. As a farmer himself, he had taken particular interest in the condition of the tanners 1 , more especially with regard to markets. He had not been very long in tho House of- Representatives before lie discovered that the farming interests wore not adequately repitacnlcd; that those who represented tho fanning community were iu a decided minority. There was not the representation there should hare been, considering tlie important work farmers were doing for the colony, for bo hardly need say that without the farmers at their backs the towns or cities, would not survive. They were, in fact, the backbone of tho country. Ilia own ex’ pcriencc had been that the town people invariably received more attention at the hands of tho authorities than the producers, which circumstance was at-

tributablc to Hip fact that they were united jit it, vrsxy such »s farmer-, had not as yet bt-eii aliio to cinulato. The object ol the union, of which Upper lluit had just inaugurated a, branoli, was U equalise matters in this respect, so til'd tfic power of the funnels could be mm,, to he felt in the same measure as ww the case in connection with other trade and industries, His first thought upon entering the Mouse, with regard ho the conditions under which the farmers laboured, was the formation of farmerclubs hut he saw now that more good, would result from the establishment or one united body than the formation oi a number of distinct bodies. A ‘bora time ago, .Mr Field said, ho met an American who was travelling through The colony, and he was very much struck with a remark he addi eased to him (the speaker). The visitor stated that he had travelled in many parts of the colony, and, incomprehensible as it appeared t,n him, wherever he went ho found that it was invariably the producer that wa “hard up.” this was a state of tilings, :Mr Field contended, which should be removed. The reason why the producer, were “hard tip” was because the market'; of the colony were in an unsatisfactory condition. It was almost impossible for them to get a fair profit when there wore so many monopolies to contend with, ’then there were the large number of middle men who were taking the greatest profits, am! “sucking the producer.’’ Coming to the question of markets, whi»h was an ail-impon ant one from the farmers’ point of view, it could he defined under two heads—viz., the establishment of markets in the colony, ami ■the establishment of markets outside the colony, ft was hard to know where to begin, but one striking fact always presented to him was that the-Government of the colony had strained its endeavours to improve too foreign markets father than the markets of the colony. He thought the market in the colony should bo considered as well. Ho had in mind the fact that many years ago there was a movement to get the frozen meat freights reduced, the object hieing to 'improve the condition of the producer, | hut this had not really boon, much gain Ito the producer. .Flo didn’t propose to ■go into the meat question at any .length, having very freely, while in the [House, spoken on the matter. ThocomI panics were to he congratulated on the .business acumen which had resulted in their enormous success and the Manners had only themselves to blame. The first suggested remedy was the establishment of a company on co-opera-tive linos; tho second, which was erroneously termed Government interference, was the establishment of Government freezing works and depots in tho colony and storage premises at Horne. He was one of those who would like, if possible, to get a co-operative company .established with, the farmers at its back, in order to break un the present mouojipoly, but ho was afraid the companies wore financially too strong. Touching upon some of the methods adopted in South. Australia, he said tho position in I that country was that there was a dojpaxtmenb of the Civil Service known as [the ’‘Producers’ Export Department,” I which had freezing plant, storage accom- ; modafciou, etc., and had control of all 1 exports of the department. In England they had also stores, whither the meat, wine and other produce handled in tho local stores was despatched. The .fanners sent their stock and produce to I this department. The live stock arc slaughtered at abattoirs in the vicinity 'of Adelaide, whence the moat is scat to tho stores, where it is graded, packed, frozen, shipped, insured, and finally sold in England on behalf of the producers. Advances, too, were made by the Government against tho produce. The scheme had all the benefits of a co-operative one, for the cost to the producer was particularly reasonable; I and tho Government did not seek to make a largo profit out of the enterprise. This undertaking was inaugurated in 1895, and since that period there had been an enormous increase in the amount of produce put through. Everyone whom he met during his peregrinations in the colony under notice were unanimously of opinion that the Government control of the products had been, and was, a great boon to farmers. Mr Field thought the Government should take up this matter as had been done in South Australia. He bad approached the Premier, and had been promised that if it were clearly shown that there was a ring of meat companies which was keeping prices down, the Government would then take action. He (the speaker) advised farmers to get together, and lay the matter forcibly before the Government. Of course, it might be reasoned that the farmers should take it up and help themselves. | He might say, however, that one of the very reasons why tho South Australian Government took the matter up was a reason similar to that which could bo advanced: in New Zealand—the monopolies so ruled the prices that tho farmers were compelled, to go to tho Government to assist them. It had been said that there Should bo no interference with private enterprise. They did not want that, all they wanted was a fair market. Tie quoted' at some length the speeches made by several of the speakers at the opening of the Produce Export Depot at Adelaide, in which it was stated that encouragement to the producers was tho keynote of the politics, of the Australasian colonies. The Minister for Agriculture (one of the speakers) contended that when the history of the colonies came to he written it would he seen that no more important step than the establishment of produce export depots was ever taken by any Legislature, and it was a stop that at no far-distant date would he followed by all of the other colonies. After speaking further on the system obtaining in South Australia, and citing figures proving its groat success, Mr Field thanked his audience for the attentive hearing he had ' received, and concluded by expressing the hope that the union would succeed in the purpose for which it was organised. (Cheers.) • A vote of thanks, proposed by Mr T. Bell, seconded by Mr P. ' Davis, wis curried by acclamation* after which the meeting proceeded to formal business in connection with tho union