RESIGNATION OF MR RUSHWORTH

Southland Times, Issue 23991, 5 December 1939, Page 8

RESIGNATION OF MR RUSHWORTH

Fear Of Inability To Supply Britain EXPLANATION GIVEN IN LETTER (Special to The Times) AUCKLAND, December 4. In a letter to the Department of Agriculture explaining his resignation from the Auckland Primary Production Council, the president of the Auckland Provincial Farmers’ Union (Mr H. M. Rushworth) wrote: “Every member of the executive expressed personal knowledge of the general decline in the volume of primary produce for export and, in spite of the utmost anxiety not only to arrest this decline, but substantially to increase production, no method could be discovered whereby this could be achieved within the framework of the order of reference to the Primary Production Councils.

“The causes of the decline, which prevent the greatly-desired increase iu production, are to be found in Government policy, and there appears to be no possible chance of the problems being solved by the councils with their extremely limited powers and order of reference. SUPPLIES FOR BRITAIN “It is considered that the people of Great Britain—who are already rationed in essential foodstuffs—are being led to believe that increased supplies will be forthcoming in due course. Some time must necessarily elapse before it becomes manifest that reliance on this Dominion for this extremely important line of defence is misplaced, and that efforts should have been made to obtain supplies elsewhere. “The executive is therefore unanimously of the opinion that passive acquiescence in the situation and a tacit continuation of their representation on the local Primary Production Councils cannot be justified on any grounds. “Every member expressed a passionate desire to assist the Empire in the grave perils which we are facing, and every possible step will be taken in that' direction, but the people of this Dominion and of Great Britain must be clearly informed that the production of our farm commodities is a long and expensive process, requiring considerable skill and expert knowledge, and that there must be a substantial, change in Government policy if the desired increases are to be produced.”