FARMERS VIEWPOINT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 4, 12 March 1947, Page 5

FARMERS VIEWPOINT

INCREASED PRODUCE PRICES STABILISATION POLICY While the farmers of New Zealand have no wish to upset the national economy of disturbing the stabilisation policy’ unnecessarily it is understood that the Dairy Section Council, the Meat and Wool Council and the full Dominion Council of Federated Farmers all resolved at last week’s meeting to give full support to the action of the Dairy Board and the Dairy Industry Council in pressing for increased payment for farm produce on the basis equivalent to the reward received by other sections of the community. In its resolution, the Dairy Section Council demanded that the labour reward for dairy farmers and their employees should be assessed by the same measuring tape as that used in other industries and should include extra payment for work done on Saturdays and Sundays and statutory holidays. The Council also supported the action taken by the Dairy Industry Council and requested the federation representatives to use their influence to ensure that the principle of the industry’s demands were implemented immediately. The Meat and Wool Council passed a resolution in similar terms. These decisions were the following day passed on to the Dominion Council for its endorsement of the principle of payment to other branches of farming on the same basis. The Dominion Council in full discussion led by the Dominion President, Mr W. W. Mulholland, were as determined in attitude as the dairy-men. The Federation will press for an increase in, prices sufficient to place farmers on the same basis as other sections of the community including payment for work done on Saturdays, Sundays and holidaj's. A special committee was set up to confer with the Meat and Dairy Boards on the matter and will work concertedly with the Boards in presenting the farmers’ case to the Government and to the public. The Federation will also define its attitude to increased labour rewards in evidence before the Court of Arbitration when the claim for an over-all wage increase is being.heard. In all the Federation has decided to back its recommendations to the Meat and Dairy Boards to the limits of its powers and resources. The views of the Council in general, however, that it was not foe the farmer alone to accept the full responsibility of keeping the economy of New Zealand on a sound basis. Rather was the on the Government to show that stabilisation had not become a mockery. No part of the original policy should be surrendered to a militant minority without heed for sound economics or without consideration for others. Farmers would find it difficult to accept the position of being held rigidly to stabilisation while others carelessly went their merry wav of allowing costs to spiral dangerously. The Special Committee working on the problem consists of the chairman of the .four Produce Section Councils.