DUTY OF EVERY FARMER TO HELP BRITAIN IN HER HOUR OF NEED

Wanganui Chronicle, 7 October 1947, Page 4

DUTY OF EVERY FARMER TO HELP BRITAIN IN HER HOUR OF NEED

In his address to the Brunswick farmers on Saturday evening, Mr. A. R. Donaldson, provincial secretary of Federated Fanners, said that immediately the appeal for more production wa s launched at Wellington his committee had set up an organising committee consisting of Messrs H. J. Donnelly (provincial president of Federated Farmers), I. F. E. Carter (chairman of the provincial meat and wool committee), A. R. Laird (chairman ot the provincial dairy section committee). W. J. B. Tripe (a provincial vicepresident and chairman of the Forflell branch of Federated Farmers), W. S. Glenn (who was chairman of the Wanganui District Council of Primary Production and now chairman of the Makirikiri branch of Federated Farmers), and the speaker. This committee was authorised to approach the following organisations asking them to appoint a representative to act on the Wanganui Provincial Farm Production Committee, viz., the Federation of Labour, the Wanganui Grain and Produce Merchants’ Association, the Fertiliser Works, the N.Z. Refrigerating Co., Ltd., the Department of Agriculture, and the Waverley branch of Federated Fanners. In the meantime, Messrs Donnelly, Carter, Trine, Laird and Glenn are the organising committee, and it is their duty to arrange branch committees throughout the district. "The meeting tonight.” said Mr. Donaldson, "is the first of a series of ten meetings which are to be held by October 13. and this strenuous tour of organising is willingly undertaken bv the committee at their own expense and at considerable loss of timn on their farms at this busy time of the farmer’s year.” Mr. Donaldson stated that there could be no doubt in the mind of any farmer that the position of the Mother Country in the economic crisis that has arisen is very disturbing. Ho expressed the opinion that the Mother Country is still possessed of some of the best financial experts in the world, and. as in the oast, these exoerts will undoubtedly rise to the occasion and place the economic position of Britain on a sound footing again. "It will take some time to accomplish this.” continued Mr. Donaldson, "and in the meantime it is the duty of every/farmer in the Dominion to at least maintain the high standard of production in his'individual farm, and if possible Jo increase the production of beef, mutton, butter, cheese and nig meats, so that an increased amount of our exnortable products will relieve the Mother Country, ot the necessity of buying her requirements of these commodities from dollar markets.” , . Mr. Donaldson referred to tne breakdown of the negotiations between the United Kingdom Gtoventment and the Danish Government, the ’after requiring at least 3s per lb foi ne “Our arrangement with the Mother Country- ensures a price for our dairy produce which affords the dairy farmers of the Dominion a reasonable remuneration for their labour, andl it would be unthinkable if we, who are member, of the British Empire and who owe so much to our Kith and kin in the Mother Country, should make her present difficulties more severe by demanding higher prices such as Denmark is doing.' he said. We "’“Y - sure that in the hapmer t mes that must come sooner or later, the gratitude of the Mother Country to the producers who stand by her tn her nresent. difficulties will ensure for them favourable consideration when, as mav easily happen, a quota system on . imports of dairy produce into the Old Country may have to. be “Taking the long range view, concluded Mr. Donaldson, “it must be conceded that our paramount duty is to devise ways and means of assisting the Mother Country in the present emergency, without being too insistent in regard to the price we tire to be paid for our produce." Mr. Donaldson's remarks were warmly endorsed at the conclusion ot his addrers. _____