FARMERS' UNION.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16852, 4 June 1920, Page 5

FARMERS' UNION.

PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE IN TIM ABU. FOOD CRISIS THREATENED. The Provincial Conference of the South Canterbury Farmers' Union was held in Timarn on Tuesday, -when all parts of the district were represented. Mr John Bitchener, M.P. for Waitaki, presided. The president said that during tho past few years the Union had been more concerned with the wheat question than with any other matter. For years the Union had been urging tho Government to place the wheat industry on a better footing, but the Government had not heeded its warning for a long time, with the result that there was a great shortage of wheat to-day. The Government seemed to think that it would 1)® satisfactory to buy wheat from Australia -when it was short in Now Zealand, but they would see now what tho Union had told thefii all along, namely, that to depend upon Australia for wheat was to depend upon a broken reed. Mr Bitchener said that beforo tho present year was out he believed that they would be faced ■with a food crisis in New Zealand. Tho Board of Trade should take tho matter up immediately, with a view to giving directions for the making of bread of a lower quality than was at present used -—bread with more bran and pollard in it. If this were done, the existing stock of wheat'could bo made to go further. It would not do them a bit of harm to eat bread with less of the offal removed from it. Their forefathers lived on bread much less refined than was used to-day, and they were hardier and quite as brainy as their successors of today. It would surely be better to eat broad not quite so white, than to ran short of flour altogether. (Hear, hear.) Ho anticipated that before the present season was over it would not bo possible to buy wheat from other countries at less than 10s or 13s per bushel —if it could be got at all. Tho president added that if they could turn the corner this year they would be on a better footing next year, as everything pointed to a larger area being sown m wheat this winter. This, however, added to the difficulty in the meantime, as it meant that more wheat would require to be Raved for seed. j

Mr Bitchener also referred to the demands for a shorter "working day and week, and sjiid that this was a* very serious thing. Work did not. hurt anyman, and shorter hours would mean less production, and this at a time when they needed the maximum production. If there was one thing needed more than another to-day, it was increased production. As things were shaping now, somebody would liavo to eat, wear, and use less. Shorter hours would mean less production, and would send up the cost of living still higher. Ho hoped they were not in for bad times, but only by increasing production could they hope to surmount the difficulties which were ahead of them. The Union had given a lot of attention to the wool and meat question. Prices were apparently going to recede, and they could only hope that they would not fall below n paying point. But if they produced more they would be able to get over all their troubles.

Mr Bitchener was unanimously reelected president, and Sir J. Trotter (Fnirlie) vice-president. After a full discussion, it was docided to get particulars to guide the Union in undertaking their own insurance, and to effect economies in buying farm requisites. What is being dono in the North Island in this respect was quoted with approval, and it was agreed thit if farmers' unions in the South Island adopted a similar procedure they would soon have a big accession in membership, -with a resultant increase in influence and popularity.