FARMERS' DIFFICULTIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17067, 27 July 1917, Page 5

FARMERS' DIFFICULTIES

. SHIPPING AND MEAT PROBLEMS. VIEWS OF FARMERS' UNION. (Psb Unitkd Press Association.) WEIXINGTON, July 26. A special committee set up by theFarmers' Union Conference to consider the dairying industry's shipping difficulties and the meat trust, reported that in its opinion there were genuine grounds for believing that neither shipping nor meat control was working satisfactorily, therefore, it made a series of recommendations to be forwarded to - the Government urging it to take into consideration reforms which the committee considered urgent and essential. The recommendations included, the following:— Urgo the Government to centralise shipping and expedite unloading and reloading at ono or two central ports; demand that the Government see that shipping space is apportioned equitably according to the amount of produce awaiting shipment at each port; all the shipping companies trading to New Zealand and plying for freight and passenger traffic should be declared by statute law to be common carriers; that immediate steps be taken by the Government, either alone or in conjunction with the farmers and mercantile firms in the dominion, to acquire sufficient ships to reneve the serious shortage for both the intercolonial and Home trade, and at the same time to be the controlling factor in settling the freight rates to be charged, and if necessary oompnlsoruy acquire some New Zealand trading ehips that have been or are being sold to outside companies; that the Government should, communicate with and endeavour to arrange for the Imperial Government's consent to discontinue the system of nomination at this end provided for in connection with the sale of meat to the Imperial authorities, as it is mainly beneficial to such firms as work in conjunction with the meat trusts; that a committee or individual answerable only to the Imperial Government should bo appointed to control the surplus meat in England, so that there would be a fair arrangement and' in the public, interests; that payment should be made on the hooke by the Government, as probably some millions of sheep and lambs are shut out from the freezing works; that the farmers in the dominion be recommended to provide as much winter feed as possible;, that representations should be made to the freezing and dairy companies in New Zealand to provide further cold storage for butter, cheese, and meat. The conference adopted all the recommendations.