LOWER FARMING COSTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 676, 30 May 1929, Page 10

LOWER FARMING COSTS

ADDRESS TO UNION “TARIFF MUST COME DOW** Press Association MASTERTON, Wednesday, Speaking at an interprovincial cop ference of the Farmers Union todav the Dominion president, Mr. w V Poison, said he found everywhere amount of enthusiasm for the work**the Farmers’ Union which, in hi* perience, was extraordinary. i t very gratifying to see that farmerl throughout Xew Zealand were at realising the importance of organise tion in this age of organisation. Farmers were realising more more that they were getting solid r*. suits from union activities. They as well as he did that this country Was deriving 95 per cent, of its exports from the land. It was entirely dependent on the farming industry. Secondary industries could not be developed on any important scale in ® country like this until there had first been established a sound and solid foundation of primary industries. Thev had a new Government, composed very largely of business men, which was out to give a square deal to every section of the community, but great clamour was being raised for increased protection of secondary industries. That must mean increased costs to the primary producers, and they had to make i* perfectly clear from one end of Xew Zealand to the other that they wouk not tolerate anything of that kind, an«i that they would not allow any Government to pile up costs on the farm€& of the country. The farmers were the only section of the community that could not pass the costs on. Great pressure was being brought to bear by the advocates of protection. Farmers should demand that the oli. jective of any Government in this country should be to keep costs down. Thera were three ways in which costs word affecting production. One serious item was the wages cost?, brought about to some extent by me work of the Arbitration Court, bwt being due very largely to the increase cost of living brought about by the general increase in costs. The second problem with regard to costs was probably one that affected the farmer more directly than any other. This was the tariff, which undoubtedly was increasing farming coste to a very appreciable extent. The third factor was the combination of the capital of industry and of commerce, the effect on costs of the operations of huge combinations commanding attention all over the world. These operations one economist had described as “predatory raids.” It might look too big a problem for a little country like Xew Zealand to expect to be able to affect costs very materially, but he did not agree with that view at all. They were by no means helpless. Reviewing the work of the industrial conference. Mr. Poison said he was of the opinion that someone made a huge blunder in deciding not to hold another conference this year. He referred to the good results of the corference at Home. This agreement was giving Britain industrial peace, and would assist her notably in competing with other nations and getting back to prosperity. In this country a great deal more could be done to bring about similar conditions than had yet been attempted. If they got a better understanding with labour, and got the team pulling together, they would get lower costs or he was very much mistaken. Mr. Poison said the country must suffer if it allowed inefficiency in any important industry. High tariffs were the death of any farming community. With the present tariff based on th« demands of sections of the community, they had inefficiency in many industries in this country at the present time. The Farmers’ Union had earn that something in the nature °f * Tariff Board or a thoroughly welldesigned Board of Trade was needed in this country to decide just now tar protection is to go. They were not so mad as to demand the abolition or protection in this country. What was wanted was a tajfering down whica, without excessive dislocation, would tend to reduce high tariff costs.