DAIRYING DIFFICULTIES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 149, 1 September 1941, Page 5

DAIRYING DIFFICULTIES

RISING COSTS AND LABOUR

FAIRER PRICES URGED

Comparing earlier performaiir ces of the company in less favourable years, Mr A. E. Lambert at the annual meeting of the Rangitaiki Dairy Company suppliers at Edgecumbe last Thursday,- claimed' that :the record figures put up last year were not so outstanding ,as many would' like to believe. He pointed out that even in 193738 in the early period of zonking the company had produced nc less than 4832 tons. Now with a favourable year and an increased supply they had only exceeded this- figure by 300 tons

It was fairly obvious, he said, {hat there were circumstances militating against such a result, and these Avere without doubt the growing burden of increased costs and the labour difficulties on the farm. The farmer was still working on the price fixed arbitrarily by the Minister for Marketing three years ago.. EVen in those' days that price was %d lower than that recommended by the investigation committee, but since then there had been a meteoric rise in the cost of all services to the farmer. The position amply demonstrated the justice of the request put forward at the previous annual meeting that butter should be paid for at grading rather thfin by F. 0.8. It was not right that farmers should be harnessed with the huge cost of storage. Mr Lambert claimed that the trend at present was for Government control which would deprive

farmers of their equity. All services he maintained were coming under the. state, including wages. Mr Gow raised a laugh by asking if a Labour member would be given the right to reply. | Mr Lambert said it was not his purpose to merely criticise the Government, but to* make, the position known. Farm workers should be told that it is not in their interests to agitate for increased Mages at the present time. Already the industry was. languishing m parts of the country. It was not

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ft fair indication to judge the position as it appeared on the Rangitaiki, for it was one of the three favoured areas in New Zealand— the Waikato, parts of Taranaki and the Bay of Plenty. While farmers here could carry on, others .were fcseling the pinch acutely and finding the utmost difficulty in carrying on. In fairness to those men it was the duty of local suppliers to urge upon the Government the nefor a more equitable basis of payment.