THE POTATO EMBARGO.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12570, 6 March 1919, Page 8

THE POTATO EMBARGO.

MEETING AT MARSHLAND. GOVERNMENT CONDEMNED. A meeting of potato-growers was held in the Marshland Hall last evening to consider tho action of the Government in prohibiting the, export of potatoes. There was an attendance of about thirty, among those present being the Hon D. Ruddo, Ml’., Dr Thacker, M.R., and the Hon R. Moore, M.D.C. AH W. J. Walter, who occupied the chair, said the meeting had been called to see if something could not ho done to get the embargo removed. The Government had put on the cmlxugo without obtaining necessary information. Why the Government had prohibited tho export, heat, him—it seemed a lot of bunkum. Potato-growing was a working man’s industry, toiling from twelve to .sixteen hours a day, and all the growers made was very little. He had boon growing potatoes for years, and had never made anything out of them yet. Ho particularised some of the difficulties tho potato-grower had to contend with. This year there was a | prospect of getting a fair price, hut | their prices were governed by the prices in, Australia. The Government, should pay them a price equivalent to that in Australia. Ho hod been talking to some of the Labour leaders in Christchurch and they thought it was i most unfair to the small farmer- The Government seemed to be down on the small farmer—(A voice: “Eyery time.”} —it was not so with the big grain-grower, Mr Walter referred to the increase in the valuation in the district. Mr Curtis said that, he had grown two acres of potatoes last year, and got a return of seven sacks. ”If the Government,”.he remarked. ”is going to keep this game up we’ll have to give it up altogether.” The Hon ,D. Buddo said that the Dominion had not done anything very important in the matter of tho export of potatoes, but the value of their export trade lay in the fact that it swept up what they could not sell here. The export of potatoes in 1910 was 505 tons of a value of £3509; 1-911, .1263 tons, value £6347; 1912, 19,964 tons, value £150,303; 1913, 1556 tons, value £7443; 1914. 1744. tons, value £7014. There were fluctuations in the export, but whut they were afraid of were theconsequences if the restriction of exportation left them with a surplus on hand, which was quite unsaleable. At present they wore entirely in the dark as to the amount- of potatoes they would have to sell- It might be,' found that there was a shortage in the New Zealand markets, and then the price might be a good one. With regard to prices ruling at the moment, the “ Australasian ’’ of February 22 gave the price as £9 10s to £lO, as compared "’Aji 10s to £5 for the same period ot 1918. Tn the Adelaide ”Observer” the early crop was quoted at £ll per ton, but the total crop, was not yet ieady. With £5 to £6 per ton ruling on tho local market no speculator was going to give any more. The Collector oi Customs had been instructed to prevent the export of potatoes. N 0 one knew what, was going to happen, hut lie put it down as a !t feeler.” It was quite dear the country could not he denuded of its food supnlv. It seemed to him the protection granted to groners of wheat could be extended to growers of potatoes.. A voice: Since the embargo has gone Pn the merchants have dropped their price £2 a ton. File Hon D. Buddo continued that it was not too early to put in a prolesl and see that their interests were conseived, and a reasonable price ensured to them for their potato cron. There was no reason why the potato grower should bo put in. a worn; position than the grover of any other crop. , said he did not see why the embargo should not be put on the meat as well as the potatoes’. He had made a, sale, of a line at £B, hut when nmhiii'.go was put on he had to take £6 for them. Air E. Alexander asked, in the event of the growers having a surplus ot potatoes at the end of the. season, would the Government compensate them for those left over? He thought that rV’r; ha , d , Pomp t0 n fair year, the inai ket/ should be open. Mr ,J. Brown said he thought the jorernnicnt should encourage the po-tato-grower. Mr J . S. Myers said thev wore “ 1,--down in Christchurch by a , class of men who were parasites,” Thev had to sacrifice their goods to a class who A9’l i’° pod to the coumrv whatever, it they formed a union thev could do t-neir business among themselves. The price of laud in .Marshland was something scandalous. u "i^ r Hntterson (Prebbleton) said the Government was an'ass.”' Thev did things and they did not know whv they did them. Why should the Government put an embargo on potatoes when they did not know what was in the country? They should bring more than a strong protest against the wav the Government were treating the men trying to struggle along. Dr Thacker said he divided the fanners into tn o classes, one beuio- the mao who farmed’ the farmer. ~Not onlv should the price of potatoes bo fixed at a reasonable figure, hut the price of land should be also. AVhat better way to assist, the price of bread than to cause, potatoes to lie plentiful? His contention was that- wheat could, not rot, but potatoes could. Meat, cheese and witter could he pul, into cold storage, and the Government subsidised those products by advancing money to build cold storage. They ' should' demand that, none ot inis province should go out of New Zealand, until it was supplied to them at the same price as it was sent away. Ho had said two years ago, •* Give the grower of wheat 7s a bushel and encourage him to grow wheat, for all he was worth.”' So it should be with the potato-grower- It was a sufficient embargo when thev could not, get ships to get their potatoes awnv. After referring tn ‘•'graft people, _ parasites anti commercial sharks. ’ Dr Thacker said the National Government- was protecting tho big people. The Hon R, Moore said that if the Government, was going.to prevent them sending potatoes- away, there was just, a. possibility some of them wm;ld lie loaded up at the-end of the, season, which wood be most unfair. The Government should take them at a price during the Reason, if if. was necessary to keep the potatoes here, but let them give the grower a fair price for them. (Applause. Conversational discussion ensued, in which Air Buddo remarked that he did not think the crop would he a big one. Air AY, J. AYaltor then mover]— “That this meeting strongly protests against the action of the Government in placing an embargo on the exportation of potatoes, and urges the immediate removal of the restrictions or otherwise fix a price equivalent to the prices ruling in Australia.” Air Harris seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously, the Hon D. Buddo undertaking to forward it to the AVinister of Agriculture,