DAIRYMAN AND CONTROL.

Southland Times, Issue 20171, 6 May 1927, Page 9

DAIRYMAN AND CONTROL.

To the Editor. Sir, —I have been a most interested reader 1 of your leading articles on farmers’ problems, dairy control, etc. The very large number of farmers’ letters on the same subjects have been equally interesting, and I am sure the farmers of Southland are greatly indebted to you for the large amount of space which has been placed at their disposal, also for the fair comment you have at all times given to correspondents. There was one correspondent I am sorry you muz- : zled, “Suum Cuique.” Now, Sir, lam a dairyman and, of course, interested in the Control Board and its ramifications. Also being anti-control I have naturally not turned over, but am beginning to think it is nearly time the dairymen of Southland opened their eyes to what is going to happen to the big bulk of the dairymen if these most disastrous prices are going to continue. We are getting back to prices we had 15 years ago when the cost of production was in the vicinity of half what it is to-day, so we know that can only be certain, slow strangulation. We have evidence enough to see that the board had antagonised the people at Home who finance us and market our produce and we must secure the goodwill of these people before we can go forward. There is only one way at present to my mind and that is the compulsory clauses of the Act must be repealed. What a blind alley our board rushed up after having such an amount of advice given gratis. First we had Sir James Allen returning here and advising the board to go easy, next we have Mr Polson, president of the Farmers’ Union, telling the board to go canny, and the president himself a control man; but when the chairman of the board says: “Go,” go he will. What hurts me, Sir, and I expect hurts a lot of other dairymen is that we have to foot the bill and the other fellow has the cushie job. Dairying in this weather is no easy thing. I am also not like one cheerful farmer who wrote that 1/- was not so bad and it would all come right in the end. I hae ma doots. Now, Sir, with your permission I would like to make an appeal to those dairymen who are not satisfied with 1/- per lb. for butter-fat to awake and let us help those other dairymen in the north to repeal some of the clauses of the Dairy Control Act or clean it up altogether, if that is not possible. So far I have only seen one Tarmer who had a letter showing he was awake and not satisfied, but I hope a number more will do the same thing and let us Anti-Control dairymen have a meeting and air our views. We should not sit down and do nothing. I certainly think the board, if it had any manners should turn round and let us market the balance of our output when we are getting such low and degrading prices or failing that to all resign and let us elect i a brand new board. Let me warn the dairymen that we are ' to have Mr H. Holland down south shortly to woo the farmer generally and tell him all the nice things he is going to do for him —cheap manures, plenty of finance and a good price for all his produce, etc., etc. He, of course, is anticipating a rocky time ahead for Mr. Coates and hopes to slip in with a little mustard and cress, the help of Mp Grounds and talk of how the farmer has been let down by all and sundry, and how the Labour Party is now the farmer’s friend and will see him through all his troubles. But believe me, Mr. Harry Holland ia I Nationalisation mad and would nationalise ' the dairymen, so beware —the cure would be worse than the disease. I should say now is the time for the farmer to mobilise for a Country Party and gather some of the spoils.—l am, etc., No. 2 AWAKE.