A UNITED FRONT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 105, 3 January 1940, Page 5

A UNITED FRONT

FORGETTING PARTYISM

THE NATION AT WAR

VIEW OF PRIMARY PRODUCTION

COUNCIL

"We have got to remember

that we are at war, that we are sending men away to fight, and its no use sending them unless we at home are prepared to do our bit by supporting them to the full. The men in the trenches inuit be fed, clothed

and supported and we as primary producers must increase our efforts to help win the war. I have noticed that the New Zealand Farmers' Union has withdrawn its delegates from the Dominion Council because it failed to agree with the Govern ment's policy, but I don't think this will interfere with production —at any rate it should not, for it is always the farmer's objective to produce all he can. Faced with the menace of distatorship from a man like Hitler we have all a national duty to perform and the farmers as I know them will not shirk from doing it." In this way Mr R. Ruddiek of Tancatua opened the meeting of the Whakatane District Primary Production Council, which was attended by the following: N. W. Carter (Tancatua) Pig Council, H. 5. Holmes (Opotiki) Sheepfariners, J. L. Burnett (Nukuhou) County Coun cil, N. J. C. McDonald (Nukuliou) Young Farmers' Club, E. C. Haultain (Awakeri) Farmers' Union, G. E. Brott (Whakatane) Labour Department, C. R. Taylor (Whakatane) Agricultural Department and the Secretary G. Kent (Whakatane) Herd Testing. Duty of Dominions. In agreeing with the chairman, Mr McDonald said that while Great Britain could do without New Zealand in times of peace, she could not survive without her active co-

operation in time of Avar. 1 here are many sources of her supplies cut oft' ir. war, he said, that she is dependent entirely upon what Australasia produces. It was therefore up to New Zealand to produce a little more, in stock, wool and dairy commodities. People should endeavour to rise above politics at a time like this.

Mr Burnett: Don't you think that the farmer is working his utmost at any time? Mr McDonald: Yes. but if forced to it lie can dc a little more. The Home market supplies from Scandinavia, Denmark, Estonia and other European states ax*e cut off. An extra hour or two, an extra acre put under grass or cropping. They are not much individually but collectively they might become the deciding factor. Personally I'm against this government, but this is not a time to let that sort of thing interfere. Blockading Britain. Mr Taylor was in hearty agreement with the last speaker, pointing out that ii all dairy farmers were to milk an extra cow, the result would be surprising. The last war against Germany was won by virtue of the Allies successful blockade. It was possible unless the Dominions rallied that the same danger might be applied to Britain herself. In normal times, Britain could produce only enough wheat for two days per week—relying upon imported wheat to meet her requirements for the other five days. She . produced one-tenth of her butter and two-thirds of her cheese In meat she produced only half of what she consumed and looked to the overseas Dominions for the balance. New Zealand as a huge potential supplier of pig meats was not doing her utmost to meet the new demand. Unless there was more active co-operation with the Motherland during her hour of crisis The Dominion was in danger of applying the same weapon against her as was applied against Germany in 1914-18. ' Undeveloped Land. Mr Holmes asked, the prospects of bringing in more of the undeveloped land and suggested that ways and means should be explored. Mr Taylor snid that this had already been given consideration. There were thousands of acres in

the Bay of Plenty Avhich wore only partially improved and could be made to supply much more. From government statistics it was estimated that there were seven million acres of land still available m the Dominion for fat lamb rearing, and three million two hundred thou sand acres which were never topdressed. Many farms in the Whakatane county had never been topdressed sip.ee the bush, was felled. There were thousands of acres at Kutarerc and along the Old Coast Road which could be attended to in this respect.

The meeting decided to appoint a sub-committee consisting of Messrs Taylor, McDonald, Burnett and Holmes to investigate the acreage of unimproved, land within the area under the councils control and report back. Not in Touch with Farmers. The Dominion Council notified that district groups had the right to appoint local committees for the purpose of working in conjunction with them in contacting the farmers Mr Taylor maintained that up to the present they had not neen in touch with the farmers enough; >n fact the committee as constituted did not represent the farmers, at least not all farmers, many of whom were quite ignorant of their activities. By way of overcoming this, it was decided to write each district branch of the Farmers' Union inviting them to appoint delegates to attend future meetings. Mr Haul tain said that every endeavour should be made to have all farmers represented. The secretary was instructed to write the Opoiiki Farmers' Union suggesting the formation of a district council.