FARMERS’ UNION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21543, 15 January 1932, Page 12

FARMERS’ UNION

ROXBURGH AND MILLER’S FLAT ADDRESS BY MR A. C. CAMERON. On Tuesday evening the Roxburgh-Mil-ler’s Flat branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union held its first meeting for the year in/the Miller’s Flat Hall. In tile absence of Mr T. Stockdill, Mr R. G Woodhouse presided over a good attendance of members, and extended a warm welcome to Mr A. C. Cameron, of Dunedin, who, fie said, needed no introduction to those present. ~ , •' Mr Cameron thanked the members for giving him an opportunity of: addressing them upon matters which were occupying the attention of the Dominion and provincial executives. He would first of all refer briefly to the position in Great Britain. As 78 per cent, of our exports went there, the prosperity of this country was largely bound up with the prosperity of Great Britain. Mr Cameron then briefly outlined the position there, and paid.a tribute to the wonderful solidarity of the Old Country and to the great effort the people there were making to effect , a recovery. The fact that after 12 years of' depression not a single British bank had failed, whereas in America some 1400 banks had failed after two years of depression spoke volumes for the soundness of Great Britain. Mr Cameron explained how the prosperity of Great Britain wjs greatly dependent upon the prosperity oi other European countries. '■ He then referred to the New Zealand” position, quoting figures to illustrate the fall in primary products. In December last the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Adam Hamilton) had stated the-position as follows:—Cost of living 42 per cent, above 1914. Wages 47 per cent, above 1914. Farming costs 57 per cent., above 1914.

Export prices 10 per cent, below 1914. Dr Weston, of Lincoln College, had analysed a great number of farming accounts and showed that on present costs and with sheep selling at 15s pec. head, fanners would require Is Gd per lb for wool to bring them out and pay all costs. What were farmers going to do about it? There were three courses open, eaid Mr Cameron: (1) To lie down to it and default, repudiate or walk off their farms; (2) to raise the price of primary produce overseas; (3) to get down costs of production by effecting economies, increasing production where possible, and by securing definite reductions in the various charges incidental to farming and marketing. The first course was ’inthinkable. The second course could only be a gradual pro. cess for reasons already given and was more or less beyohd the. control of the individual farmer: The third‘course was the only course to be followed,, and was to a large extent wthin their own hands. Mr Cameron then'analysed the various, charges incidental to farming, and dea'lt extensively with interest, wages arid handling charges. He referred to the position of the various awards ' affecting the fanner, both directly and indirectly, and urged his hearers to press their local member of Parliament to support any move which might come for the abolition' of the present harassing restrictions of the Arbitration Court. He referred to the part wages played in almost every service—handling. charges, the repair of farm implements, 1 clothing, fertilisers, etc. Mr Cameron referred to the various efforts made by the Provincial Executive and the success which had attended these efforts. He then made reference to the burden of taxation and local body rates, both of which pressed heavily upon all classes of the community. He quoted figures showing the enormous increase in Government expenditure, which had increased by £88,000,000 during the last 10 years. The increase in population since 1914 was approximately 30 per cent—the increase in our National Debt approximately 500 per cent. In 1925 the Dominion’s wageearners were reckoned to be 401,445, onefifth of which were Government and local body employeea—the number then being 81,847, an increase since 1914 of 83 per cent. '' .

Mr Cameron spoke of the enormous growth of local body expenditure and taxation, which had now reached staggering proportions. During the last ,10 years the liabilities of local bodies .had increased, • enormously, as, . follows: County, 464, per cent, increase; road districts, 456 per cent, increase; power boards, 458 per cent, increase; drainage boards, 732 per cent, increase. -Fiftythree, new hospitals had been built since 1915. The cost per head in 1919 was 9s 6d; in 1927 it had increased to 18s Id. The daily cost of treatment in our New Zealand hospitals works out at over £1 per head, of which the hospital board charged 12s and collected 3s 6d per head. Patients paid 22 per cent, of the total expenditure and the taxpayer paid the remainder Mr Cameron stated that the Farmers’ Union had pressed for a Royal Commission to be set up to go into the whole question of local body administration, with a view to effecting economies and reducing the number of local bodies, and it was very gratifying to note that Mr Forbes had promised to set up this commission at an early date. The speaker concluded his remarks by urging farmers to use their influence to have Government and local body expenditure kept to a minimum and to stick together, in the matter of getting down costs generally. Mr Roderick MacDonald said he was very pleased to h car that a Royal Commission was to be set up to go into local body administration, as he felt that hospital board administration, particularly, wanted looking into. Hospital board assessments were steadily mounting higher and higher, until they had well-nigh reached breaking strain. He thanked Mr Cameron for his most interesting address.

Mr Davidson asked Mr Cameron to explain the terminal charge made on wool by the stock firms, and said he was pleased to note that the provincial executive had been able to get a reduction. The chairman said he was pleased to see Mr J. Bitchener, M.P., present, and asked him to say a few words. Mr Bitchener: said he was spending a holiday in the district, and had come along because of his interest in Farmers’ Union matters. For many years he bad the honour to be president of the South Canterbury executive, and he was also a practical farmer. It was just 50 years since he had carried his swag through Princes street, Dunedin, and he had seen a few ups and downs since that time. He congratulated Mr Cameron upon his address, which was of a very high order. He paid a tribute to the work the Farmers’ Union was doing, and gave it as his opinion that no body was listened to more attentively by the Government than the union. He wished those present every success with their branch and with their work as farmers. . Mr Woodhouse moved a hearty vote of thanks to the speakers.