OVER-PRODUCTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 October 1930, Page 11

OVER-PRODUCTION.

. ' (Tp the Editor.) j it is hard for one to under* stand bigwigs and advisers nowadaysjiist a little while ago the cry was “Produce More!” “Produce More. 1 Mo were shown the benefit of top-dressing to that end; we bad it dinned into our heads that by producing more the country would better weather stormy time? ahead. No doubt readers can call to ■inind all the flap-doodle doled. out for quite a long period regarding increased production. And how do we find it now ? We are told that overproduction is the cause of the present range of low prices —the only cause, don’t'forget! When one looks into the question and notes the fact that our increase jn production (which gives evidence of still in? creasing) has not benefitted the producer one iota because of increased ripe in manures ordered during the Is 3d to Is 5d return period, but paid for out of the lOd to Is return period. And even at the higher. figure the producer was a t a loss; he toiled all weathers on decreas* ing prices for hi? produce and worked longer hours to make tip that increase in production. For whose benefit? Did the shipping clique or the insurance ring, or the banking octopi and the moneylending gangs reduce their fees and charges, or anything else you may call them? Was any reductioir’bf a material character made in freezing charges or in the costs at the other end? No fear. John, the Cockatoo, stands the lot, and is scolded because he had to get a motorcar on account of the roads being dangerous for horse and gig-. Now, there is no doubt our produce has to sell at-lower prices, but, correspondingly, other necessary charges have to be reviewed towards the end of allowing the producer to find a payable level. Reducing wages (as many are suggesting) will not do any-good. The wharfie with intermittent opportunity of earning, high refit to find, Uhd big charges for food, clothing, etc., should not be touched until other qvenues are fossicked. The same applies to all necessary labour required ip the handling of our produce, the eery of over-production people are advised, to become producers; the Government is making provision to that- end, so when exfra production is added to the present over-productiop, which sees millions of boxes of blitter hard to get rid of at a paying price, what is to be the posi* tion? Over-poduction of a spendid food, and millions hardly know the taste of it ! Say we put 30,000,000 users in the Old Country alpne, and do not take into consideration that used for sweets and pastry, efe. If each used lib ot but|er per week there would be about 25,000 tops accounted for per week, If costs of production and distribu .ien were stabilised and the goods produced at a proper figure tjie whole, one million apd a-half (or nearly) of New* Zealand could be producers of the stnfi?, and there would still be room for outside makers to find ft majj<et. Sq , where, is the fly in the ointment? Top much is asked (and taken) fop service by those who live and fatten on the toil of the map on the land, who, like the camel, groans but still carries the load. There is np sympathy, no co-operatipp, yet there is interdependence between the whole, and only a few get the benefit, d?y there is going to be a smash up of a system which allqws* foofistutfs to be ii?ed for the purpose of enriching a class who have the idea they cannot be done without; who pull political strings, and alpo the Prpss, for thejr own greedy ends, and so long ps the farmer-class remain divided (and great care is taken by the “suckiers” to see they are kept divided) sq long will the present system obtain and John, the Co.ekatqo, remain simply the serf he is. Such happenings as are evidenced during th® present time will help break thp division existing amongst thp farmerclass and surely show that cue big effort by -amalgamation of butter fac? tories will be the first step to reduction in cost pf production; that combination in distrifiutipn, also, is extra important; that an agricultural bank system, which could be used for financing purposes without an eye on big dividends for a leisured class, should be instituted, By their own action in- combination fhe producers could put the “suckers”.into their proper position of servants and not piasters. Let each butter producing company overhaul itself first in regard tp discovering methods of reducing costs there; let the individual look into the matter with the view of disc ivering Ji way of reducing his costs, and it will be found that thq finance end, which he or they cannot, control (as things are) is the first and the main reason for Jbe high production costs. A few days ago a cable announced that in Britain through the National Savings Committee £1,948,000,0110 or £45 per head, had been invested. Probably the people utilising this method of saving a few shillings weekly know nothing about butter, deeming the commodity as being something used by the sick, but the fact goes to show that given a • good article at a reasonable price from the consumer’s point of view, there is money in the Old Country to be spent on it. But over-production? Bah! —I uni, etc., COWSPANKER.