THE COUNTRY’S AFFAIRS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22293, 20 June 1934, Page 4

THE COUNTRY’S AFFAIRS

POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT DEFENDED BY PRIME MINISTER (Pee United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, June 19. “ I feel in looking back over the record of what has been done that the measures taken were necessary for the successful carrying on of the affairs of the country, said the Prime Minister (Mr G. W. Forbes) at the opening o£ the Royal Agricultural Society’s conference to-day, referring to the actions taken by the Governmeut to mitigate the plight of the farmers during the past few years. “I have no doubt at all that the farming community bore the heaviest end of the depression, Mr Forbes continued. “The Government had to realise that this was the most important industry in the country, and the first duty of the Government was to aid it. We have been criticised as being a farmers’ Government. It has been said that all we see are the wants and the woes of the fanners, but this is tjie basic industry of this country, and if it failed all the others would come crashing down with it, so in supporting the farmers, we have been strengthening the foundations of the whole of our industries. Unfortunately an attempt is being made to drive a wedge between the primary and secondary industries. Anything creating a feeling of disunity and hostility is doing a disservice to New Zealand. It has been said that if Xve could give Great Britain more favourable consideration in regard to tariffs we would get better treatment from her, but the conditions of entry of British goods into New Zealand arc 50 per cent, better than in other countries. In any case, it has been made very clear that there can be no bargain that is not common to of the dominions. Speaking of the necessity for combatting the encroachment on the wool market by substitutes, Mr Forbes stressed the urgency of improving the quality of the natural article. In Germany, he said, there were two new synthetic fibres which, it was claimed, were the nearest thing to wool it was possible to get. The w°olgrowers could not sit down and let these others get ahead of them. New Zealand wool had many natural advantages, but a creat deal of it was not up to the standard demanded by the manufacturers.. There had been much talk .of improving the quality of dairy products, and the same should be done for wool.