SHORTAGE OF FOOD

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24896, 8 June 1946, Page 6

SHORTAGE OF FOOD

FEDERATED FARMERS’ DISCUSSION GOVERNMENT ACTION WANTEP The world- food shortage was discussed at length at the annual con, ference oi Federated Farmers, North Canterbury district, yesterday, when a deputation from the Christchurch Famine Emergency Committee was received, and a remit calling for the re? moval of restrictions and an assured minimum economic price for food products, to make possible a drive for ifl» creased production, was passed. Dean Warren, for the I umme Emergency Committee, said that the British people were seeing that, as far as possible countries near the starvation line would be relieved. His remarks would apply only to the need for more food, pot tfip problems of production aud eeopomy. Jt was tyue, ffp said, that the people of England were pot starving, but they were tired and weary, anff fed up with all tfiey fiad gone through; yet they were considering introducing bread rationing, a thing the. had not had to do during the war. Millions were threatened with starvation in other countries. “If you saw men and women starving at your front gate, there is not one of you who would not share what you had. But because we cannot see them, all that should be dene is not being done,” he said. General Eisenhower had told America that without food there would be no peace. If the people were awakened to the need, they would act, but they required waking. Mr E. A. Sharp, who also represented the committee, said he was a representative of the Federation of Labour. It seemed to him that most Of the struggles of the world were baaed on the struggle tor privilege. “We will need to understand and implement a pqlicy that will feed all the people eventually,” he said, “We cannot continue to hold advantages so greatly in advance of millions of unfortunate people. One of the greatest impediments to proper understanding amons nations has been the lack of facilities tor the exchange, not only of produce, but of ideas and ideals.” Atomic war would be more gentle and humane than to let peoples starve, ne said.

Longer Hours Advocated It was the first appeal they had had to produce more food, said the presiaent, Mr K. W. J. Hall. They had, however, anticipated it, and had not waited to be asked, but had moved on their own account.

“We feel there are several factors prohibiting us from increasing production,” he said. “First, it has been proved that the acreage of wheat has slipped badly in the last four or five years, and is still slipping.’’ Farmers should be paid a payable price, and they would ask for a bonus of £2 an acre, and other emergency measures. Second, bakers should use a proportion of barley, oatmeal, and potatoes in their bread. Third, the delivery of lime and superphosphates had been held up by lack of labour, and lack of railway trucks. Those two shortages came back to the 40-hour week. If the appeal was genuine, and he felt it was, not only farmers, but others, should be asked to work longer. “Increased work has been suggested to the Minister of Agriculture, and he said that we must not discuss the 40hour week until after the election, as it was a political question,” said Mr Hall. “If it is a political question, then politics are holding up production.”

Mr Hall said that better facilities for rural housing, education, postal Service, and telephones were required. Sales tax should be removed from farm implements and machinery, and higher prices should be given for heavy-weight lambs, ewes, and pigs. Taxation should be reduced, as had been done in other countries since the war ended, said Mr L. R. C; Macfarlane. Some stimulant, some movement from the top, was required to get better production. • ' “Action Wanted” Mr G. C. Warren: What we want is action. The trouble is not here; it is in Wellington. We have taken every possible course to get the Minister to act, and have had no satisfaction. Farmers and wheat growers want the finance to be able to grow. It hurt me to see wheat in the paddocks after it had been threshed, rotting for lack of transport, while hundreds of trucks at the Aotea wharf were idle. “The world needs food; we grow it; and I feel that the Government should ask to help to lay plans to increase production,” said Mr R. Bethell. “But we have not been

Mr Sharp agreed that there should be closer co-operation. “We should be in the same camp,’’ said. “We have drifted apart so widely that as a result there is no cohesive effort m the production of the country. There is no more effective sabotage than non-co-operation.” In respect of the taxation, he would say that New Zealand had come through the war without a penny of overseas war debts and there would be no need to send away produce to pay wpr debts. Regarding the 40-hour week, he would state tnat working people had sacrificed a great deal of their freedom of movement. By the time they went to and fro, they worked a great deal more than 40 hours, and if they did not go to work on a wet day, they were not paid for it. “I hope you will continue to show some sort of restraint in blaming all the shortages caused by war on bureaucracy,” he concluded.

The remit, which was brought forward by the executive, was as follows: —“That this conference is convinced that the negative action of rationing diminishing production will not greatly relieve the world food shortage, that a bold drive for increased production is an urgent necessity, and that as a means to that end restrictions should be removed and minimum economic prices for food products should be assured.”