AGREEMENT WITH BRITAIN

Waikato Times, Volume 195, Issue 22393, 6 July 1944, Page 4

AGREEMENT WITH BRITAIN

PRIMARY PRODUCERS’ WISH CONSULTATION ON PRICE The annual meeting of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Sheepowners’ Federation in Hamilton yesterday, after considerable discussion on the subject of marketing primary products and the agreement with the United Kingdom for supply of primary produce to Britain for the next four years, adopted the following resolution:—‘That this branch is gravely disturbed at the spectacle of our products and prices being determined and contracted for without consultation with farmers’ organisations concerned in their production.” Another subject of discussion was fertiliser supplies. The following resolution was passed:—“That in view of the magnitude of meat in importance as a war commodity this branch asks that the fertiliser position be reviewed, v/ith the object of releasing a proportion of all additional phosphates to the meat producers.” Federation of Farmers Referring to the Farmers’ Federation, the chairman, Colonel N. P. Adams, said he had attended many meetings to forward the idea of federation, and the result was a conviction that the main body of farmers were united in the view that they must federate. “My impression was that the respective bodies should be linked at the top by a combined council,” said Colonel Adams. “The matter is still being thrashed out. Committees of the Farmers’ Union and the Sheepowners’ Federation are meeting shortly in Wellington, and they have been instructed to report the result of their meetings, and state the conclusions they have come to and what schemes they may have agreed upon.” Mr H. Johnstone (Whatawhata), as president of the Waikato sub-provin-cial executive of the Farmers’ Union, said he was satisfied the union approved of Colonel Adams’ basis of negotiation for federation, and had confidence in Colonel Adams as a negotiator, equally as it had confidence in the Farmers’ Union Dominion president, Mr W. W. Mulholland. There was practically nothing between the two in their drafts of rules, and he hoped agreement would be reached. It was vital to the primary producers that there should be some form of federation.