REPEAL SOUGHT

Southland Times, Issue 21265, 11 December 1930, Page 6

REPEAL SOUGHT

ARBITRATION ACT MASS MEETING OF Z FARMERS TIME OF STRESS (Per United Press Association.) Christchurch, December 10. One of the largest mass meetings of farmers ever held in Christchurch was held in the Civic Theatre to-day. The proceedings developed into a demonstration rather than a meeting so enthusiastic was the applause when mention was made of the' abolition of the Arbitration Court. The main object of the meeting was to discuss the fall in prices and means for dealing with the situation created by the Dominion’s great decrease in income. Unanimously the meeting decided that the Arbitration Act be repealed, that everybody should assist the Government in economics, that an emergency committee be set up to take any possible measures to ameliorate the lot of farmers and that there be a liaison with the Chamber of Commerce, Manufacturers’ Association and other bodies dealing with industry in order to put into effect the spirit of the meeting. ■ The chairman, Mr L. R. C. Maefarlanc, said that it would be advisable to keep the meeting non-political as in a time of national stress petty political differences should be forgotten. Farmers were not the only people suffering at the moment. There were not many investors not faced with diminished dividends. Thousands were out of work and on the brink of starvation and the majority of the workers were on short time. Any thinking man must sympathize with the Government, whose difficulties in dealing with a spoiled and petted democracy were enormous. Rather than criticizing, people should assist by weaning themselves from the departmental feeding bottle and give up the legislative spoon. The country was fast approaching the time when, through low prices, high production costs and excessive taxation, which would be levied paradoxically to maintain the high costs, it would be found impossible to carry on and production would automatically decrease. Wages must be based on the country’s income. The workers must appreciate the commonsense fact that 9/a day for all the year is very much better than 14/- a day for two days of the week. The Arbitration Court must go and all the workers under its wing, all employers in the sheltered industries, the trades and the professions must realize that no one can buy their goods or labour unless the charges are on a par with the country's income. The country must compel the Government to stop borrowing. With reduced coots and reduced wages there would be work for all the unemployed and many more immigrants. Failing some adjustment of costs, alternative would be ruin for 00,000 farmers but, though the farmers would be chastised with whips, the rest of the community would suffer with scorpions. The next speaker, Mr Colin Mclntosh, president of the North Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, said that he deprecated the possible proposals that the farmers should try to establish a Farmers’ Party in politics. He advocated the abolition of the land tax in favour of the income tax. He also urged the partial de-rating of farm lands. He declared that the Government had been guilty of extravagance and must reduce the cost of the Civil Service. The following resolutions were carried: (1) That this representative meeting of farmers emphatically urges that Parliament be called at an early date and that a conference of all parties be held immediately it does to discuss ways and means to reduce the cost of farming. (2) That this meeting is emphatically of the opinion that the Arbitration Act should be repealed. (3) That all classes of the community should help the Government in its economy campaign and strongly urge it to still further economize and refrain from increasing our enormous Public Debt. (4) That this meeting authorizes the setting up of an emergency committee consisting of the presidents of the A. and P. Association, Farmers’ Union, Sheep Owners’ Union and two members of each society to go into the following matters: To investigate the present position and to take steps to promulgate measures to ameliorate the present condition of farmers; a liaison with the Chamber of Commerce, Manufacturers’ Association and the Industrial Association, etc., and any means to further the aims and spirit of the resolutions passed at this meeting. The meeting decided that telegrams be sent to the Hon. E. A. Ransom, actingPrime Minister, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, Leader of the Opposition, and Mr H. E. Holland leader of the Labour Party, drawing their attention to the remits.

CONFERENCE SUGGESTED

PLIGHT OF FARMERS.

(Special to the Times.)

Dunedin, December 10

The South Island Dairy Association of New Zealand, Limited, has forwarded the following letter to the acting-Prime Minister (the Hon. E. A. Ransom) : This association, representing the South Island daily producers, wishes to -endorse the representations which have already been made to the Government regarding the serious position which the dairying industry finds itself in, as the result of the drop in the market values of butter and cheese. Having regard to the facts that prices have declined more than 20 per cent, below those which obtained in 1914 and that production costs are about double what they were in that year, it will be realized that the plight of the average dairy farmer is indeed critical. It means that not only is he getting no return for his labour, but that he is working at a considerable loss and would be better off in the ranks of the unemployed. Bankruptcy is staring him in the face, and if something does not happen promptly to relieve his plight there will be no alternative left to him but to seek some other means of existence. The welfare of the whole of this Dominion is largely dependent on the primary industries and that being the case, it is urgently necessary that every possible means be taken to improve the present situation. With that view we would respectfully suggest to you that the Government immediately convene a national economic conference, representative of the primary and secondary industries, financial institutions, employers and employees to discuss the position and make such recommendations to the Government as are considered expedient by way of remedy.