DOMINION’S PROSPERITY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19134, 1 October 1936, Page 15

DOMINION’S PROSPERITY

RELIANCE ON FARMER TOWNSPEOPLE’S ATTITUDE The impression of ninny townspeople in New Zealand that the farmer is unduly assisted was deprecated by Mr. If. E. Worsp, chairman of directors of the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company, Limited, at the recent annual meeting of shareholders, lie pointed out that all sections of the community in tho Dominion depended on the farmer for the basis of their prosperity, as any rise or fall in exjKirt prices was soon reflected in tlie- general spending [lower. “Conditions in Now Zealand are such that, if the grass is not kept growing in the country it will soon grow in the streets of the cities,’’ continued Mr. Worsp. “There is a feeling among many townspeople that the farmer is bolstered up at the expense of the rest of tho community. Statements made by irresponsible people show a complete misunderstanding of the true position and tend to endanger harmonious relations between town and country.” To illustrate how New Zealand almost entirely depends for its livelihood on primary production, and to point out the impossibility of the producers passing on their costs to the consumers, a huge percentage of whom reside overseas, Mr. Worsp stated that we use in New Zealand 2 per cent of our wool, 4 per cent cheese, 10.8 per cent lamb, 18.5 per cent butter, 24.6 per cent pork, 51.5 per cent mutton, and 73.2 per cent beef.

“Beef production in New Zealand is only a minor industry,” concluded Mr. Worsp. “The balance of our primary products, which comprise 94.8 per cent of our exports, has to find' a market overseas in. competition with the primary producers of the world. These figures emphasise the importance of the primary producer to the rest of the people of tho Dominion.”