PRIMARY PRODUCERS

Southland Times, Issue 21271, 18 December 1930, Page 7

PRIMARY PRODUCERS

RALLY AT lIAWERA. ADDRESS BY MR W. J. POLSON. (Per Vniled Press Association.) Hawera, Dwember 17. A rally of 1000 farmers, representative of the Taranaki and Wanganui provinces of the Farmers’ Union, assembled to-day for the first of a series of meetings which are being held by the Union with the objective of reaching an agreement on its policy in relation to political questions of the day in the interests of the primary producers. Welcomes were voiced by the Mayor and the president of the Chamber of Commerce. The first speaker of the Convention, Mr W. J. Polson, the Dominion President, gave an address lasting an hour and a half. The first plank must be an equal opportunity for the primary producers with the other sections of the community and a readjustment of the incidence of Customs taxation, said Mr Polson, in outlining the policy proposed. The second plank was the removal of the restrictions on industry through the Arbitration Court, with compulsory conciliation and optional arbitration. The third was the reduction of the costs of government by the elimination of unnecessary departments, the reduction of railway costs, by the curtailment of expenditure on non-paying lines, the reduction of overhead expenses and management by a board free of political influence. Other planks were provision for agricultural finance at moderate interest through the establishment of an agricultural bank and the extension of the intermediate credit system, the de rating of farm lands, the abolition of the Land Tax Amendment and the Unemployment Board’s 14/- per day policy. Mr Pclson expressed an optimistic view concerning the improvement in the dairy industry, but said he could not be as hopeful regarding meat and wool.