OFFSETTING FARMERS COSTS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 94, 30 July 1943, Page 4

OFFSETTING FARMERS COSTS

THE Government's decision to make available to farmers just over one penny per lb. butterfat on last season's production in order to offset rising costs will be greeted everywhere, not merely as a welcome recognition of the service the average farmer is performing t>ut also as a gesture which is just and proper under the emergency conditions ruling at the present time and under which the primary producer has managed to maintain his figures in all lines of operation. The Minister of Agriculture (Mr J. G. Barclay) made the following statement which conveys the general attitude of the Government concerning production. "To meet price increases on items of dairy farm requisites and costs it has been decided to pay .767 d per pound butterfat to dairy farmers, and to meet certain increases of dairy factory requisites and costs. Payment is to be made to butter companies of .187 d per pound in butterfat and to give companies a further .055 d per pound in butterfat. The Government has also decided to increase the wage rate of agricultural workers by 2s 6d weekly. This agreement has been accepted as a full settlement " of the dairy industry claims within the stabilisation policy. Naturally there will be those who will claim that the whole gesture is based on vote catching, such a thought, even were it suspected to contain an essence of truth would be uncharitable at this time, in view of the growing difficulties of the party in office. In the same manner, it could hardly be said that any farmer with normal intelligence who suspected such a move would be likely to become a willing dupe to the advances of a Government which was capable of such political bribery.