PARLIAMENT

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

PARLIAMENT

RESOLUTION AT LOCHIEL Reference to the resolution passed at Lochiel was made by Mr G. R. Herron. That resolution, he said, would be quoted repeatedly when they went to the Arbitration Court. The people who passed that resolution would suffer, but they would not suffer alone. “It is not fair,” somebody interjected. “I know it is not fair,” said Mr Herron, “but they will suffer.” Mr Herron added that at the previous meeting the suggestion was made by Mr Rutledge that farmers should stand together. The position now was that they had a weakness already. Politics entered too greatly into these matters and it was unfortunate as the farmer would have to be organized whatever party was in power. It was fortunate that the Lochiel resolution was not published in the newspapers till after the delegates had met Mr Nash. It was, he thought, a great pity that these opinions should be published in the Press. Mr Herron added that it was gratifying to see the fine support they had from the Farmers’ Union and the dairy farmers in the North Island. The Farmers’ Union realized that the dairy farmer was up against it in Southland. The sheep farmers realized also that they too might be up against it some time and stood firm with the dairy farmer. They had chosen a particularly able delegation and he was sure the strongest argument was put up by Mr T. F. Paul. The average efficient farmer, Mr Nash had told them, under normal conditions was the basis of the figures. When it came to that the average efficient farmer was the North Island farmer and it was not fair to take that as a Dominion basis. The North Island farmer had to do very littte cultivating compared with the Southland farmer and the Southland farmer, capable though he was, came below the average. Mr Nash assured them that the farmer should get £5 10/- a week. Allowing £1 10/- for his house he should be allowed £4 a week. All the additional costs had to be taken out of that £4, and there was quite a number of these costs. Rates were up, cheese crates and other factory costs were up, and to get good labour today it was necessary to pay competitive wages for which provision had not been made. All these and other increases had to come out of that £4—that was, where a man got as much as £4 a week. Mr Nash maintained that the average payout to factories in Southland was 14.62 d worked out on 19 factories, but the average pay-out on 36 factories was 14.06 d.

“In closing,” Mr Herron said, “I would like to suggest for goodness sake stand together for your own protection. _ As soon as you start passing resolutions such as this one you will have to carry on yourselves, as we can get nowhere.” UNITY URGED Mr T. F. Paul urged the farmers to unite because the whole of the industry was facing a crisis. He agreed with Mr Herron that the delegation worked well together in Wellington and presented its case very thoroughly. Mr W. Caldwell had offered some valuable suggestions to strengthen the discussion. He would like to make it clear that no special consideration was asked for returned soldiers. A good case had been put up for the small factories, some of which had been going in Southland for 20 years. If these were closed farmers would face greater expense in carting and other items, and for that reason farmers were satisfied with a slightly lower pay-out from these factories. The Minister had been asked whether he would pay out the ■whole of the surplus on the cheese account and in his reply had made it appear that the cheese suppliers had received the correct amount and the butter factory suppliers a little too much. The Minister had been definite that no allowance would be made this year for increased costs. The farmer in Southland would not in any event get £4 a week. Southland farmers should remember that last year wool and meat had been at boom prices and when considering the position they should not take into consideration the amount received from the few sheep they carried. Mr Nash had said that he would not release the report of the special committee on the guaranteed PI He would like to join with the other speakers in expressing disappointment at the motion passed by the Lochiel dairy factory. Mr E. A. Cameron, another member of the delegation, said that when they met the Dominion executive the dairying position was the first matter dealt with, and the opinion was unanimous that the dairy man was not getting a fair deal. He thought it was a significant point that Mr Nash was supported by two other Ministers and a member of Parliament. The impression he got was that the Government’s mind was made up and that Mr Nash and his Government were on one side of the fence and they on the other. They felt that the matter was a foregone conclusion, but they put up the best arguments they could. Mr Nash referred to a dairy farmers’ meeting in Taranaki attended by about 600 farmers, none of whom had expressed a dissentient voice against the guaranteed price, although he had asked whether there was any man in that gathering who was not receiving a return of £5 a week from his dairy farm. Another point Mr Nash raised was that dairy farmers throughout New Zealand were running over each other trying to buy cows. The Dominion executive was out to a man to stand behind the dairy farmer. “I have my own opinions as to what is behind the whole thing and what is going to take place,” he concluded, “but at present I don’t wish to make them public.” Mr S. Sim said there was one section of the community operating on a highly protective tariff and there was the other section, the farmer, whose sons and daughters were trying to get into the first section, making the economic structure top heavy. Mr W. Caldwell said that they had had a good hearing from Mr Nash who had fixed no time limit for the presentation of their case. They all did their best in the interests of the industry and no stone had been left unturned to assist the dairy farmer. Mr D. Rutledge said that the figures submitted were absolutely convincing. The industry was not being placed on the same economic line as some of their so-called wage earners. Because the farmers wished to preserve their independence they were going to suffer. “They call us Tory racketeers,” he added. “Well, if we are, let us get out into politics and do something about it. I hope this meeting is not going to disperse without coming to a firm determination to show what they mean when the next election comes. I would like to see the farming community get on to the rails, take charge of the engine and drive it themselves.” PETITION TO PARLIAMENT This concluded the delegates’ reports and Mr T. F. Paul moved: That this meeting appoint a committee representing the Southland branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union and the South Island Dairy Association to formulate a petition to be signed by dairy farmers in Southland and presented to Parliament expressing the views of the dairy farmers on the Government’s guaranteed price for the current I season. Mr D. H. O’Brien seconded the J

motion, which was carried unanimously. The following committee was appointed: Messrs G. R. Herron, W. Caldwell, T. F. Paul, F. Christie, W. A. Cockburn and G. E. Davis. In addition the following nominees of the Farmers’ Union were appointed: Messrs B. Clearwater, John Johnston and W. Young. “Are you going to get anything by signing the petition?” asked a member of the audience. Mr Herron said that the idea was to counter’ the talk in the House that the opinion was only that of a few Tory racketeers. “We want them to see that we are not just a few but a united party,” he added. The chairman said the idea was to let the Government see that they were not satisfied with the guaranteed price. “Why should we not have a direct representation in the price fixing of our product?” was another question. “There are three or four representatives on the price-fixing committee,” said the chairman. “Well we should appoint them,” said the speaker. “Yes, but the Government doesn’t think so,”, remarked the chairman. The meeting concluded with a cordial vote of thanks to the members of the delegation, Mr P. C. Munro remarking that they had done all that was humanly possible, although the dice was loaded against them from the start