PROTEST DEFEATED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 186, 7 August 1936, Page 11

PROTEST DEFEATED

DAIRY FARMERS SUPPORT LEGISLATION CO-OPERATION REQUIRED MEETING AT WANGAEHU That the farming community is satisfied with the Government's scheme of guaranteed prices lor dairy produce was demonstrated at yesterday’s annual meeting of the Wangaehu Co-operative Dairy Com- I pany, when a resolution of protest secured only the votes of the mover and seconder out of an attendance of between 170 and 180 suppliers. The resolution was as follows: — "That this well-attended meeting of suppliers of the Wangaehu Co-opera-tive Dairy Company vigorously protests against producers being deprived of the right of marketing their own produce and is of the opinion that such action is injurious to the industry.” In moving the resolution, Mr. D. Sutherland said that the dairy farmers had passed into a new era and had been deprived of the right of marketing their own produce. When the chairman, Mr. F. Johnston, called for a seconder none was forthcoming. After a short wait he called for someone to second the resolution pro formo. Mr. D. Henderson, ; a director of the company, then seconded the resolution. Mr. Henderson said that the farm- ! ers would now have to put on their ’ thinking caps. The farmers could i consider what the price was going to be, what the London market was going to be and what price was going ! to be received in the future. Now j this right had been taken away from 1 the farmers. They would find that j costs were going to rise considerably. Mr. J. W. Duggan considered that ' suppliers were entirely out of order i in moving such resolutions at the j meeting. (Loud applause.) When the dairy farmers were being hard hit I they had not come along and offered any constructive suggestions. Now that the Government was trying to assist the producers it should be given every assistance by the farmers. Mr. F. Pritchard said that the farmers should get behind the Gov- ' ernment and lend their co-operation. He thought that the right farmers I had in the past of reselling their pro- i duce was wrong; it created market fluctuations. The farmers of New Zealand could export a good product ; but he was afraid that they did not I know much about marketing. Mr. Pritchard said that he believed ! it would be a mistake to pass such a resolution at this stage. "Let us get ‘ right behind the Government and do our part in guiding their legislation in the right direction,” he said. Mr. H. Hiroti thought that if any resolution were passed it would not be effective. He was not in favour of the Government taking control of the marketing of dairy produce but now that it had been passed the farmers would have to take the law as it stood. In replying, Mr. Sutherland said that he did not expect the resolution to be effective. The purpose was to object to the directors having their right of marketing taken away from them; a vital link between the supplier and the consumer was being lost. The suppliers were being divorced from live contact with the market. When the resolution was put to the meeting the only votes in its support were from the mover and seconder. Chairman’s View "You know the amount of the Government's guaranteed price now. At this juncture I do not feel com- ’ petent to make any comment,” said i the chairman of directors, Mr. F. Johnston, in moving the adoption of the annual report and balance-sheet. "I might say that I thought that the amount of the guarantee would have been a little more. I think that, , as the Government is asking for the . co-operation of the people, especially the dairy farmers, they might take us more into their confidence. In my mind, there was no need for the Min- 1 ister to hold back the guaranteed ] price so long." Mr. Johnston said that in his opinion Increased factory and general ] costs were going to swallow up the t whole of the over-run and that the ‘ farmers would be no better off than last year. "We are in the swim and ; the best thing for us to do is to go J on plodding along as we have in the , past. If things do not turn out to our ( advantage then we can make our | voices heard.” 1