FARM LEGISLATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23044, 21 November 1936, Page 9

FARM LEGISLATION

CRIPPLING THE INDUSTRY EFFECT OF INCREASED COSTS URGENT NEED FOR ACTION (Per United Press Association') DANNEVIRKE, Nov. 20. A discussion on the question of labour for farms and the effect of the increased costs imposed by the Government’s legislation took place at a meeting of the provincial executive of the Southern Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Union. Members gave various experiences regarding labour, from which it was evident that all were not encountering difficulty, but concern was expressed regarding the competition of the Public Works Department, while some held'the opinion that, with Increased labour costs and taxation, the farmers would be unable to effect improvements and bring their properties back to the state they were in prior to the depression. The president (Mr J. Livingston) adversely criticised the new legislation, asking were they, as farmers, to take this legislation lying down without protest? Were they going to see the farming industry—the most important in the Dominion — crippled just for want of backbone in saying that they were not going to stand for the present legislation? If the farmers throughout the Dominion had any backbone they would stand together, fight the Government, and state emphatically that they would not accept the legislation that had been imposed. The Government could not put them all in gaol. They should make a stand and inform the Government that they were going to fight the legislation.

The meeting passed a motion expressing the opinion that the position was so serious that the Dominion Executive should be requested urgently to place before the Prime Minister this drastic state of affairs. .