FARMERS DISCUSS PROBLEMS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20104, 6 December 1930, Page 18

FARMERS DISCUSS PROBLEMS.

meeting at methvbn. PRICES AND PRODUCTION COSTS (SPHCIAL TO THE TBSSSj METHVEN, December 5. A special meeting of the Methven braneh of the New Zealand Farmers' Union waa held in the A. and P. Association's rooms this evening, Mr M. Macalo presiding over a good attendance of members. Before beginning tho business of the meoting a vote of sympathy was passed to Mr C. Nordquist, who recently suffered by the aeatli ox his wife. The secretary was also instructed to convey to Mr H. D. Acland, of Christchurch, the hope that he would have a speedy recovery from his illness. The chairman stated that as a result of the recent increase in tho tariff the duties were much increased on tractors and tractor oils, etc. branch had Written to a number of oil companies asking what reduction they would make in the price of oil if they could have the duty removed or reduced, and practically all written to had replied that they would Tcduce tho price by the full amount of tho reduction obtained 1a the duty. Mr James Carr cited the case of the farmer who purchased a 44-gallon drum of tractor oil and stated that ho would pay £2 13s lid in duty, which he considered altogether too much, taken in J conjunction with the land tax, increased rates, and tho duties on the ! goods they had to use in their business. I The farmer was the most heavily taxed j individual in the country. He moved thaj the following be sent forward as a remit to the Mid-Canterbury Executive of the Farmers' Union: "That the Government grant a refund of the 7d per gallon duty paid on lubricating oil for agricultural tractors." Duty on Tractor Parts. Mr Macale also referred to the duty of 40 per cent, on tractor parts. This he considered entirely too high, as the purchaser not only had to pay the 40 per cent, duty, but also tho importer added his profit to the duty, and thus the price was further increased. The tractor was now a necessity for the work of the farm, and he considered that some relief should bo given in this direction. Mr J. H. Stone said they should enter an emphatic protest against the duty. Mr F. W. Buddenklau also said that the duty on tractors should be removed. Ho said that the idea of preference to British machines was good in theory, but at the present time there was no British machine on the market that could do tho work required satisfactorily, and under these circumstances they should remove the duty from all tractors. It was decided to send the following protest forward to the Mid-Canterbury executive for its consideration:—"That this branch emphatically protest against the duty on tractor spares, and that the Government be approached to place them on tho free list." Mr Macale then referred to the fact that Messrs Calder and Geddes, of the staff of Lincoln College, were present, and would address them on various matters of interest. He extended a welcome to them, and also to Messrs Boag and Oakley, president and secretary of the Rakaia branch of tho Farmers' Union, and to Mr Franks, wlrt> was also present representing the Lauriston branch. Meeting of Fanners. Mr Macale then referred to tho meeting that has been called by the Canterbury Sheepowners' Union to bo held in Christchurch on Wednesday next, to discuss the position of the farmer today. Ho referred to the unfortunate position of the farmers, saying that the price of all their products was down below tho cost of production. They required to do something as quickly as possible. Time was drifting on, and the farmers were leaving their farms and joining tho ranks of the unemployed. He asked for an expression of opinion from those present. Mr H. E. Jessep said that it seemed that they had almost reached the end as far as farming was concerned. Ho thought they should send delegates to tho meeting called for Wednesday next. Mr James Carr referred to tho price they wero receiving for their frozen meat, wool, and butter. Tho last was worth to-day equal to in England, but charges from the factory to London took about 2Jd a lb, making the price here 9d a lb. Ho asked how it was possible to receive these prices and pay the present wages and buy the goods they required at the prices charged. The bulk of the requirements of the farmer were produced under a system of sheltered industries," with high wages, while the goods they had to sell had to be sold in the market. Ho referred to the glut in firewood in the district, so that they had found difficulty in selling. Railway Rates. Now the Railway Department had put on increased rates for railage on this, and it was now impossible to dispose of ai ?y firewood to Christchurch. Men who were engaged in this work wero giving up and were now unemployed. The freight increase also affected potatoes, grain, etc., thus further reducing the price to producers. Somo years ago tho railway employed 13,385 hands, but to-day it employed 19,000. The staff was far too numerous, and should be reduced. He thought they should ask the Government to reduce its expenditure. Ho considered that they should all be prepared to face the reduction and the Government to give the lead. Local bodies would then follow the lead and private firms also. Ho proposed: "That this meeting of farmers calls upon the Government to recognise tho plight of the primary producers and requests it to take steps immediately to make effective an all-round reduction in Government and local body expenditure, the abolition of the Arbitration Court, to allow work to be conducted on a natural basis, the abolition of the land tax, which in most cases is being paid out of capital or by borrowing money, and tho putting of tho railways upon a commercial footing to enable them to reduce freights bo that they shall not become a burden on tho taxpayer. Mr J. E. Dalton, referring to the meeting to be held, said they should be strongly represented and should put their views forward in no uncertain manner. The way to influence the Government was to demonstrate in their thousands. That was the only way, because if enough were there the Government would take notice, as every ono represented a vote, and votes were what counted. He said every member possible should attend. The Arbitration Court. Deferring to the Arbitration Court, he said this should be abolished. The country was being run by the extremists of the Labour Party for the benefit portion of the population. Costs would have to be reduced, and everyone would have to pull their weight, and then things would begin to improve. He was strongly in favour of r j. rr 8 motion and had pleasure in seconding it. Btone referred to the work of the completion of the Main Trunk A asked if the motion would include tho cessation of this work. Mr Carr said that while a lot of unnecesT«i J 7 , Y as hemg done in the North island, a lot of people thought that the

Main Trunk line, being the only "work being carried out in the South Island, should be gone on -with. If the similar works in the North Island were abandoned, then it would be found that most people would bo in favour of the South Island Main Trunk being also stopped. Mr Carr's motion, on being put, was carried unanimously. Messrs James Carr and M. Macale were appointed delegates to the meeting in Christchurch on Wednesday. Country Unemployed. Mr Stanley Wilson, referring to the unemployment question, said that £750,000 was shortly to bo spent on work for the unemployed. He said that it seemed that unless they were careful the bulk of this money would be spent in unproductive work in the cities or on other useless work like the Lewis Pass road, etc. Referring to the registration of the unemployed, he said this was quite in order, but why should they do all this in the cities? Why not have an officer in the country towns to deal with unemployment? Many quite good men were out of work in the country and were suffering silently. In other cases good farm labourers wero leaving the country and going to the towns. There they were not allowed to do their best and had to go slow on their jobs. Then, again, if they wanted men for farm work absolutely incapable men were sent out to them from the towns men who knew nothing of farm work.

HAMILTON RESOLUTION. (press association telegbam.) HAMILTON, December 5. The need for an immediate session of Parliament to discuss ways and means for relieving the desperate position of tho country and the farmer in particular was expressed at a largelyattended meeting of the Waikato Farmers' Union to-day. The following resolution was carried:— "That this executive urges tlie Gov-ernor-General to assemble Parliament immediately to consider remedies for the present desperate economic condition of the country and the farming community in particular."