AID SOUGHT

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20785, 21 April 1939, Page 10

AID SOUGHT

SHEEPFARMERS’ PLIGHT OVER £8,000,000 REQUESTED GUARANTEED PRICE ISSUE (By Tcler^aoh—nea» AsierJitiont WELLIN'GTON, Thursday Claiming that more sheep farmers Would leave their farms than had done •o during the depression if they did no<t receive financial assistance, a deputation from the New Zealand Farmers’ Union suggested to the Prime Minister and the acting-Minis ter of Lands, the Hon. Lee Martin, that the Government should find between £5.000,000 and £7,000,000 to place the sheep farmers on a financial basis. The Prime Minister said that the Government had already made a preliminary investigation uf the position, and he suggested that the sheep farmers should accept a guaranteed price. Forced Off Farms The president of the Farmers’ Union. Mr \V. \V*. Mulholland, said the position of the sheep farmer had been discussed at a previous deputation. Unfortunately, adverse conditions had developed beyond anything they had anticipated, and it appeared that in the near future more farmers would be forced ofT their farms than during the slump. The tragic part of the position was that those now threatened with the loss of their farms were among the best of the Dominion’s farmers. A Figure Wanted Mr Lee Martin said he would not agre© that more would go off than during the slump. Mr Mulholland: That is the position as 1 see it. Mr Savage said he could not understand why the sheep farmers would not take a guaranteed price from the Government. A guaranteed price would give them some stability. Mr Mulholland: 1 prefer not to discuss that. It has been referred to our conference. ‘"We want to find some means of helping the sheep farmers,’’ said Mr Savage, “but if I am expected to reduce other peoples’ incomes to help them, I tell you frankly that I am not going to do it.” Mr Mulholland said it would make a great difference to the sheep farmers’ reaction to a guaranteed price if the Government could mention a figure. Mr Savage: I could not give you a Agure here to-day. We have got to an investigation to see if men should be kept there. Mr Mulholland said they were not interested in speculators. If it could be shown that the Government could ffnd five to seven millions without increasing costs it would make a big difference to the sheep farmers’ reaction to a guaranteed price. “During the last ten years,” said Mr L©e Martin, “the price of wool has been above one shilling on only two occasions. If there had been a guaranteed price of a shilling during that period there would have been no complaints.” Party Politics Mr Savage: I don’t know. One man cam© a long way to tell me that the vice-president of the Farmers’ Union had advised members not to make any positive statements to the Government, but to put the onus on the Government to do something - . That does not look like co-operation. We arc here to help and when the Farmers’ Union forgets the political position we will get further. Mr Mulholland said party politics were no concern of the Farmers’ Union but the general political situation must concern them all. Mr Savage said he was still convinced that a guaranteed price was the solution. What would be the result if they took a vote of the wool farmers on a guaranteed price? he asked. Mr Mulholland said that where a guaranteed price had been discussed at meetings a majority had been against it. but he could not say what the general body of sheep farmers thought. He also referred to the graduated land tax and the need for considering the primary producer in the national life. Mr Savage said the incidence of taxation might not be perfect and should be considered during the investigation. Proposals for Cabinet Mr Lee Martin said that if a large percentage of sheep farmers were being forced off the land it was being acne to embarrass the Government. Mr Mulholland: Did you ever know a man prepared to lose money to embarrass the Government ? Mr Savage: Some are prepared to go to considerable lengths. Mr Lee Martin said he was satisfied something could be done and within a few days he would place proposals before the Cabinet. Mr Savage assured the deputation that consideration would be given to I the matter, but he was not going to set up a royal commission which would only tell him to reduce costs. “For heavens’ sake, let us have a closed season for the Government, so that vve can do something for the farmers,” he exclaimed. “You can't get rid of us now. In any case, we want to do something and let us go , where the truth leads us and do our best to help everybody.”