VOTE OF CENSURE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26915, 29 October 1948, Page 6

VOTE OF CENSURE

FEDERATED FARMERS’ EXECUTIVE “FAILURE AND NEGLECT” SHOULD BE MORE MILITANT P.A. INVERCARGILL, Oct. 28. A charge that the Dominion president and executive of Federated Farmers had failed to take the necessary action to prevent legislation detrimental to the primary producers being placed on the Statute Book was made by Mr I. R. Wills at a meeting of the Southland provincial executive of Federated Farmers. Mr Wills advocated that the federation should become more militant. The following motion was carried. “ That Southland farmers are per-, turbed and dissatisfied at the failure of the Dominion president and executive to take necessary action to prevent legislation detrimental to the primary producer, the latest neglect on their part being the Land Valuation Court Bill, stabilising farm property at 1942 values which, in effect, means that the farmer’s greatest asset is to be sold at a fixed price in spite of the continuing decrease in the value of money. We desire to know urgently if our leaders are going to continue standing on the sideline or if they have a policy and are prepared to take a stand for fair play.” Strong opposition was met by the chairman, Mr W. Baird, when he moved on behalf of the Athol-Garston branch “ that wages for casual farm labour be put on a maximum basis and that breaches of the award be penalised.” The remit was lost. Those opposing it said that the man in desperate need of labour would pay extra and take the consequences. They considered the scheme would not work. Referring to awards for the harvesting and shearing, Mr Baird said some farmers were not keeping to those awards. They were paying above the award rates, and to get men other farmers had to fall into line. The Athol branch considered that all awards should be on a maximum rate The carpenters’ award was on a maximum basis and recently in the Hutt Valley an employer and employee had been fined for breaches of the award. If there was an definite limit to what a farmer could pay a man. then the good man would come down to the level of the indifferent man, said Mi T. Double. Farmers would take the best man every time and be prepared to pay him above the award rate.