DIFFICULTIES OF FARMERS

Southland Times, Issue 24448, 30 May 1941, Page 3

DIFFICULTIES OF FARMERS

SOME IN DESPERATE STRAITS “We are meeting under the shadow of war—a war which will tax the utmost resources of our great Empire. Last week’s timely reminder given. by the Australian Prime Minister of the part each and everyone of us will have to play in this country if we are to win was more than necessary. Mr Menzies brought home to us in vivid and direct language the sacrifices which the people in the Mother Country are making, and made a call for individual sacrifice which must have made a deep impression upon the people of New Zealand.” These remarks were made by Mi' J. A. Edwards (Otikerama), president of the Southern District Council, of the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand in an address at the annual meeting of the council at Gore. “You will agree with me when I say that we have implicit confidence in the great leadership of Mr Winston Churchill,” Mr Edwards said, “and we are proud that our brave young manhood is holding its own with the cream of the Empire’s airmen, sailors and soldiers.” Mr Edwards said the meeting was one of the best he had attended and stated that he was particularly pleased that it was so representative of the various agricultural districts of Otago and Southland. He thanked delegates who had come from a distance for their presence.

“Surely this is no time for petty party political bickering,” Mr Edwards said. “Why cannot the country as a whole drop its bickerings and pull together for the common good? The war must inevitably have a profound effect upon the agriculture of this country. There has already been a drain upon the man-power of our holdings, and some of our best young farmers are already overseas and others will not be long in following them. Already, we are experiencing difficulty in getting experienced teamsters, shepherds and high country musterers. I do not think I am exaggerating when I say that some farmers are in desperate straits and are already considering altering their farming programmes in order to cut down to a minimum work requiring outside labour. Fencing wire, fertilizers and other farm requirements are getting harder to get and prices for repair work are soaring to a level which will mean curtailment of ordinary maintenance, and now, on top of these difficulties, comes the far greater' problem of reduction in our export of frozen meat.”