A WAR BURDEN

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21646, 6 May 1940, Page 6

A WAR BURDEN

Acceptance Of Wheat Price Rising Costs Not Met WAIMATE, May 5. A decision to accept the present price of wheat as a war burden was made' at the annual meeting of the Waimate Branch of the Farmers’ Union on Friday night. A motion on those lines proposed by Mr J. C. Hay was adopted: “That this meeting, while pointing out that wheat costs have substantially risen, agrees to accept these increased costs as part of the war burden; at the same time, we urge that all other sections of the community should accept their increased costs without passing them on. and we call on the Government to postpone all applications for increases until after the war.” Mr P. McNeill .aid that the Electoral Committee of the Wheat Board would be meeting next week, and he would like to get an expression of opinion i bout the 5/9 a bushel as the price of wheat. “I think lyself, that in view of rising costs, we are entitled to an increase of 3d if not 6d, especially sixice the price was fixed three years ago,” he stated. “I would like to hear an expression of opinion. If you are satisfied we will have to be.”

The chairman (Mr J. Dempsey) said that on investigation by an officer of the Department of Agriculture, the average price of producing wheat had been put at 3 '4.68d. When that figure was submitted to the Cabinet, the Minister would have a difficult task to convince his colleagues that wheatgrowers needed 6 -. After a conference of wheatgrowers, it had been agreed that the average cost of production was 4/9. and farmers were allowed 1/- a bushel profit.

Mr McNeill stated that ne understood the officers of the Department had been sen. round 20 odd farms. Some years ago, the Government had appointed a commission which had taken exhaustive evidence. There h?d been no guess work, and all costs had been investigated. “I think it was hardly fair, that the officer should have been sent to 20 selected farms in Mid-Canterbury, to get a line cn costs.” he said. Header-harvesters could not be satisfactorily worked on the downlands of South Canterbury.

Price Not Sufficient

Mr J. C. Hay said the cost of producing wheat varied, and it could not be asce tained like the cost of factors' production. Sufficient wheat could not be produced in Mid-Canterbury to meet New Zealand’s needs, and therefore production was required from South Canterbury. Since exhaustive inquiry had fixed the price of wheat at 5/9 three years ago, that price could not be sufficient to-day. “We should accept it,” he added, “but we should expect the rest of the community to accept their increased costs also. We should accept it as part of our war burden, and call on th° Government t 3 announce that that policy would be applied to the rest of the community. If that is done it will prevent costs from further increasing.” “I would like to see Mr Hay move along those lines,” Mr W. J. Fletcher stated. “It is unquestionably a fact that we hear greater demands for higher remuneration for services rendered. If we accept this under protest, and carry it as part of our wai burden, it would show that the Farmers’ Union was making an effort to do its share.”

Mr McNeill said Mr Sullivan had stated the matter of all-round increases in wages would be investigated. “I would be prepared to accept the price of wheat as a war burden,” he added, “if other sections of the community did the same.”