PETITION TO

Southland Times, Issue 23308, 18 September 1937, Page 12

PETITION TO

DAIRY FARMERS OF SOUTHLAND

Protest Against New Guaranteed Price

SECOND MEETING OF REPRESENTATIVES

RESOLUTION CARRIED AT LOCHIEL DEPRECATED

Although the Minister of Marketing (the Hon. W. Nash) refused the request by the delegation appointed by the first mass meeting of representatives of the dairy industry in Southland to increase the guaranteed price on dairy produce, it was decided at another meeting yesterday, attended by about 150 representatives of the industry, to forward a petition to Parliament expressing the views of the dairy farm••ers of the province. The meeting heard the individual reports of the members of the delegation which waited on Mr Nash, and the view was expressed that although the Minister had given them a patient hearing, unrestricted by any time limit, his mind was already made up and the result was a foregone conclusion. One or two speakers at yesterday’s meeting deprecated the motion passed at a recent meeting of the Ldchiel Dairy Factory Company expressing satisfaction with the guaranteed price. It was claimed that unless opinion on the guaranteed price was unanimous their interests would be seriously prejudiced in any effort to secure better terms from the Government. The meeting, which was called by the South Island Dairy Association in conjunction with the Southland provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union, was presided over by Mr W. Young. AUTHORS OF THE MEETING “I would like the Press to take particular notice of what I am about to say,” said Mr Young, “and to publish it in pretty large type. This meeting today was called by the South Island Dairy Association, in conjunction with the Farmers’ Union. I make this statement in order to enlighten would-be politicians that this meeting is called by a responsible body.” Mr D. Rutledge: And not by political Mr Young added that he did not know whether any directors of the Lochiel dairy factory were present, but if there were he would be very much obliged if the Lochiel people would show them how it was possible to make dairy farming pay at the present price. (Applause.) “I cannot make it pay at the price,” said Mr Young. The chairman added that when the delegation went to Wellington it handed a written statement to Mr Nash and he thought that statement should be read. The statement, which was a summary of opinion expressed, at the previous meeting of protest, was read by the secretary. Mr B. Clearwater, giving a review of the work of the delegation, said that he had attended the quarterly executive meeting of the Farmers’ Union in Wellington. The guaranteed price was the first item on the order paper, and it was ascertained that although the North Island people had taken no action they were definitely sympathetic. A committee was set up to present the case to the Minister of Marketing. Mr Nash had associated with him at ■ the conference two other Ministers, the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. W. Lee Martin) and the Minister of Education (the Hon. P. Fraser) as well as Mr J. G. Barclay, M.P. The delegation was led by the Hon. F. Waite, M.L.C. Mr Waite presented the report which had just been tead, and Mr Sexton dealt with the unfair basis of the first year’s price. Mr G. H. Herron dealt with costs and rising costs in Southland, Mr T. F. Paul spoke of soldier settlers and Mr D. Rutledge summed up. The whole tenor of Mr Nash’s reply was to justify the figures he had used and in the course of that reply a wordy debate ensued. The discussion started at 3 p.m. and continued till after 5 o’clock. In conversation with Mr Lee Martin he had said that the figures presented by Mr Nash would not work out on Southland farms, and Mr Lee Martin replied that they would work out on his farm. FIGURES CONSIDERED ABSURD “We have been anxiously waiting to find out on what basis Mr Nash fixed his guaranteed price,” Mr Clearwater said, “and these figures were not released until the morning of the day we met the Minister.” He added that in conjunction with others he had compiled statistics which showed the utter absurdity of the figures as far as Southland was concerned. He was not trying to set down a list of farm costs because he knew that everyone had different ideas. Mr Nash had based his figures on a 60001 b butterfat farm. In carting Mr Nash allowed £3 10/-, while the actual cost in Southland was £45. Grasses and seeds were set down at £3 16/-. “We know perfectly well,” Mr Clearwater said, “that we have to resow 10 or 12 acres and the cost is anything from 30/- to £2 an acre, so that this estimate can he reckoned at £2O to £3O in grass alone.” Fertilizer, he said, was set out at £29 5/6, while in actual farm figures it amounted to £5O or £6O. Mr Nash had estimated fencing at £5 1/-, water at £1 13/- and drains at 19/-. “It means that you can clean out your drains in one day,” he remarked. Other figures were:—Weed control, £1 10/6; control of rabbits, 1/-; casual labour, £1 15/6; cow covers, £1; veterinary services, £1 10/6; implements, £2 13/-; horse, £2 13/-; tractor and truck, £1; buildings, £3 0/6; insurance, £1 10/6; rates, £lO 12/-. “The rates are the only figures I agree with” Mr Clearwater added. “Certain items have been definitely omitted from Mr Nash’s scale of costs. Among these may be included the depreciation of the stock. £4O to £5O, interest on capital and mortgage £BO to £lOO, and stock and chattels account £2O to £4O. The £1 that Mr Nash had set down on tractor and truck might enable one to take a photograph of these implements while the £1 10/6 for veterinary services would not buy salt licks. “Mr Nash also made a most astounding statement,” Mr Clearwater continued. “In answer to Mr Sexton he claimed that he based the first year’s guaranteed price ovei - an average of eight years, then over nine years and then over 10 years. He then took the best of these figures and based the first year’s guaranteed price on the average—five boom years and five slump years. Yet from the year 1926 on costs exceeded prices. From then on they were really on slump years and prices were disastrous.