LABOUR CRISIS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26770, 13 May 1948, Page 2

LABOUR CRISIS

Sir,—As one swallow doesn’t make a summer, we therefore cannot accept the claim made by George E. Cross that the farmer under Labour has received more encouragement than at any other time in history. If guaranteed prices have been such a blessing to farmers, perhaps Mr Cross will explain why so many thousands of acres have gone out of production during the last 10 years; why last year’s wheat acreage, 141,407, was the lowest in history; why dairy cows in milk declined from 1,807,000 in 1935 to 1,662,000 in 1947; pigs from 808,000 :o 549,000; bobby calves supplied to the Southland pool from 40,650 to 23,930; why during the last year or so 24 cheese factories have closed down in the South Island, and 7000 acres of orchards have gone out of production; why the output from 33 West Coast sawmills has declined by over 23,000,000 feet in the last eight years, why honey is unprocurable, and eggs are rationed at half an egg a week for each person? Mrs Drcaver, ex-Labour M.P., after a tour of inspection, said equipment necessary to maintain and increase primary production, although procurable in the stores, was “ frozen ” by Government orders, so production suffered. Southland farmers were forced to give up their herds because of man-power and restrictions on the sales of machinery. These men were trying to milk more cows, but their efforts were torpedoed by Government restrictions. Is this the kind of encouragement Mr Cross applauds? Sir Keith Park, one of our most distinguished and loyal sons, speaking to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce recently, said that he had found New Zealand to be even more frustrated and fettered than England, and he compared the restrictions and controls which operate in this country with those imposed by the Fascist Government in Argentina. He also remarked that New Zealand suffered no war devastation to which present housing difficulties can be attributed. Lord Beveridge was amazed at our housing conditions, and said they are not quite as bad as those existing in that bombed and battered country, England. Will Mr Cross call this carping criticism or admit it is the truth?—l am, etc., Matilda.