PROBLEMS OF THE COUNTY

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1931, Page 8

PROBLEMS OF THE COUNTY

DISCUSSION BY FARMERS. MR. POLSON ANSWERS QUESTIONS. When Mr. AV. J. Polson, M.P., had concluded his address to the Stratford executive of the Farmers’ Union on Saturday he answered a number of questions during a general discussion. . - The chairman, Mr. ,M. G. Trotter, said the move made by President Hoover to suspend for one year the repayment of war debts was a promising one, as the huge international debts were the cause of much of the trouble in the world to-day. He regretted that the funds of the Main Highways Board had not been devoted to the de-rating of farm lands, but he supposed that the Government had its own ends in view when it appropriated the funds. “The primage duty will probably be increased to 5 per cent, by the time the commodity taxed reaches the consumer, will it not?” asked Mr. H. J. Marchant, who said that profits on import,s were calculated on the duty. Mr. Polson: It will most likely be 6 per cent. The chairman mentioned the matter of bulk purchase, and asked Mr. Polson’s opinion. “The matter of bulk purchase has been considered in Great Britain from all angles, and has been recognised as impracticable,” Mr. Polson stated. Suppose, he continued, it were possible for Great Britain to buy in bulk from New Zealand for five years. During that time th© organisation that had been built up to distribute and market New Zealand produce would disappear. Then at the end of the five years the agreement would lapse and New Zealand would have to compete in the open market again, but without the advantage of its selling organisation and with, probably, the handicap of having to sell in the face of any surplusses that the British Government cared to loose on the market. No plan would guarantee that that would not happen. _ ’ Mr. J. B. Norris (Puuiwhakau) raised the question of 'th© Arbitration Court. Under its awards, he said, a good man was not paid enough, while a poor worker was paid too much. He thought the court should be abolished.

ARBITRATION - METHODS. In reply, Mr. Polson said that the Watersiders’, Seamen’s and Miners’ Unions had refused to come under the awards of the Arbitration Court, as they considered they could benefit more through their own methods, and those methods had served them well. Even if the court were abolished conditions might not -be improved. The better method was that adopted in Great Britain, Where there was voluntary arbitration and compulsory conciliation. Those terms seemed contradictory, but they meant that when a dispute arose employers and employees were compelled to meet to discuss their differences, but the matter could be referred to the Arbitration Court only when both parties were agreed on such a course. The cause of unionism . was advancing as workers realised its value, and a scheme such as that of Great Britain would be preferable to that in operation in New Zealand. “It seems to me that the more the tax on. petrol is increased, the less we get expended on the roads, said Mr. L. Bunn (Puniwhakau). He considered there was too much disparity between the price at which petrol was landed in New Zealand and the price at which it was sold. Mr. Bunn advocated the control of the distribution and sale of the spirit by the Government. One petrol station would serve Stratford, and a host of middlemen’s profits would be eliminated. 1 1 “When I suggested an increase in tax I meant that the tax should be used to relieve the burden on the Consolidated Fund, not that it should be placed to the credit of the fund,” Mr. Polson stated. If the tax were earmarked for roads, expenditure on roads would come from the tax and would not be a drag on the finances of the Government. He said that when petrol was selling in London, for Is. Id. the price in New Zealand was 2s. 2d.- to 2s. 3d., although the difference between the distance from the Gulf of Mexico to England and from the Gulf to New Zealand could not nearly account for the big difference in prices. k ISe therefore considered that if petrol were further taxed its price to the consumer would not increase materially, as the petrol companies did not want their sales restricted. When the tax was imposed in Great Britain the bulk vendors of benzine arranged their prices so there was no increase in the retail cost, and he thought they would do the same in New Zealand. If the price did increase it would tend to take much of the heavy freight from the roads and place it on the railways, thus easing the wear and tear on the roads. A farmer in the backblocks who had to send his wool out by road had said to the speaker that the tax would bear heavily on him and on others in a similar position, but Mr. Polson contended that the relief obtained through the decrease of rates consequent upon the petrol tax being devoted to the maintenance of roads would more than compensate the farmer for the amount he paid in tax. LACK OF CONFIDENCE. ■ For some time factors throughout the world had been combining to cause the troubles that had now accumulated and that had been brought to a head by a general lack of confidence, said Mr. Marchant. People had to admit that much of their trouble was their own fault. There had been trouble over the quality of the produce, over pools and control boards, and all that had helped to break down confidence. With reference to bulk purchase, he said that a few moments’ thought would disclose that if New Zealand entered into bulk purchase the effect in Stratford, for instance, would be that there would be only one tradesman of each kind. What would happen to the people who would be thrown out of work? he asked. New Zealand was an exporting country, and the exports would have to be increased. Trades and professions were attracting a large number of people, and there were too many people engaged in attending to the affairs of the country instead of concentrating on the production of exports. Unemployed were spending their time “titivating” town streets while lands were deteriorating and large tracts were undermanned.

The fact that there would be no wool sale at Wanganui till January would be a great inconvenience to farmers, said Mr. Bunn, to whom Mr. Polson replied that the farmers had a representative on the wool committee, Mr. R. Lilburne (Wanganui), who paid careful attention to farmers’ interests. Mr. Polson himself did not know why the sale had been postponed. Mr. J. B. Norrie said it appeared the

association of wool buyers had been instrumental in getting the postponement because they wanted a big sale in order that there would not be so much competition and the individual buyers would get what they wanted more cheaply.

The secretary was instructed to inquire of Mr. Lilburne the full particulars of the postponement. In reply to Mr. N. B. Fryday, Mr. Polson said the Advances to Settlers Department had to charge the penalty rate on payments even a day late. The department' was compelled to do that by law, but steps were now being taken to ease that condition.