INCREASED COSTS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Issue 2, 8 July 1940, Page 5

INCREASED COSTS

THE FARMER'S BURDEN | REMEDY WITH THE GOVERNMENT Dealing with"-the increased costs that have been aldded to the farmer's burden since 1938, Mr A. J. Murdoch, ward member of the Dairy Board, who addressed Friday's meeting of farmers in the Winter Show Hall, quoted rises in the prices of bi-carbohate of soda, nails, staples, white clover seed, cow covers, etc.. In the case of nails and staples the increase shown was- over one hundred per cent". "I quote these figures," said Mr Murdoch, "to show that costs have gone up, but we are not going to say now, 'Wc want more money.' But it is fair to ask the authorities to rfeduce costs.'' Mr Murdoch said that one way of reducing the costs would be to sus-» pend the labour legislation and dispense with time-and-arhalf and double-time for Sunday work in dairy factories. "Where you have 'all-in' legisla-t tion, we should all be on the one level," Continued Mr Murdoch, "and not have the cneam on one side and the thistles on the other." The speaker referred to a: report . that Auckland watersiders had finished work at 12 p.m. and allowed an over seas Steamier to sail short of two hundred tons of valuable cargo. "They ought to be shot," voiced one farmer. "The farmers would do the jphj" said another. "The farmers are. doing a one hundred per cent job," concluded Mr Murdoch, "and if we don't get the points w<e ask for, we will stil'l do our best."