ARROGANT WOOLBUYERS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18499, 21 February 1930, Page 4

ARROGANT WOOLBUYERS.

BOYCOTTING LOYAL FARMERS. MR POLSON'S VIEWS. ’ ’••• | jBy Teleffraab—Annotation. NEW PLYMOUTH, Feb. 20. Speaking to-day. Mr W. J. Poison, M.P., president of the Farmers’ Union, dealt with the wool position, stating that he believed the present depression would be only temporary. In this connection, he deprecated the arrogant action of the wool-buyers, who, he said, were trying to force farmers to sell their wool below its value. The price of wool was too low when it was selling at less than half the cost of production. It was cheaper than its substitutes, and as it was an essential commodity it was bound to rise in value. He considered it was safe to store wool for a rise, and safe to lend against it up to present values, but the wool-buyers were insisting that it must be offered to them. Farmers had not objected when some wool-buyers had refused to operate at a time when they considered wool was to high, and had absented themselves from the sales. The same rule of fair dealing and freedom of action should now apply to the farmers, yet the wool-buyers, in order to import their wool, were actually boycotting those farmers who offered their wool —the unfortunates who had no finances to carry them through.

Under the circumstances, Mr Poison thought it was the duty of the Government to stand behind the Rural Intermediate Credit Board, which had the organisation to deal with the matter, and to assist that body to finance farmers’ wool just as it had financed wheat and other produce. It would not mean a greater outlay than £1,000,000 to help all those in need of finance who had no firm or bank prepared to assist them. Meanwhile, he regretted to see British wool-buyers acting in concert to boycott and artificially embarass the loyal farmers who had, during the war, offered to sell their wool at much below the market value in order to help the Mother Country.