CHANGED ROLE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27404, 1 June 1950, Page 8

CHANGED ROLE

Farmers’ Activities STRONG ORGANISATION NEEDED “Anything we can do to build and strengthen our organisation is very necessary,” said Mr John Andrew, in his presidential address to Federated Farmers of Otago, yesterday. “It is necessary, because through it we can make the greatest contribution to the achievement of a period of plenty and well-being for mankind,” he said. ' “Farmers of New Zealand have no apologies to make for playing a part in helping formulate plans and policies for the betterment of conditions in New Zealand or in taking their place on world organisations,” Mr Andrew said. “There was a belief in the past that the farmer should be a person whose sole duty was to remain on his farm producing the wealth, but that the disposal and management of it should be left to others.

“The lessons of the past, when the produce of the land was manipulated by the speculator for personal gain, and the farmer was not organised to present his case and protect his interest, lead us to believe that we can no longer afford to remain aloof from having a voice not only in national, but in international affairs

“ The complexity of the situation in which we find our affairs is such that we require a strong organisation throughout the Dominion, employing the required specialists,” Mr Andrew said. “The value of that procedure has been amply demonstrated in recent years, when our office, faced with a variety of problems, has handled them in a manner which reflects credit on the organisation and means greater justice for the farmer. “Many of the matters handled have been mentioned, but some of those with which we are at present concerned are stabilisation, the pool accounts, transport, devaluation, import control and the recently discussed Tariff Board. Other developments which we were unable to restrain or improve have in recent years affected New Zealand’s standards of production.”