STATE CONTROL OPPOSED

Chronicle (Levin), 24 May 1946, Page 5

STATE CONTROL OPPOSED

( Spccial ( 'on cspoiKlcnt. )

. ' o • ! N.Z. DELEGATES' DEMAND FOR FREEDOM j PRIMARY PRODUCERS' TALKS

Received Thursday, 7 p.m. LONDON, May 23. J On the grounds that the- proposec; | constitution for the Internationa! j i'ederation of Primary Producers diil j not sufiiciently guarantee farmers free ; dom from Government control and re ; striction, the- New Zealand delegatirm ! to the first Interhational Conference oi Agricultural Producers introducsd ar j amendment which was seconded hy the | leader of the Indian delegation, Profesi sor N. Kanga, and sent to the constitution connnittee for consideration with t.he original proposals. j Mr. W. W. MulhOiland, moving the amendment, said New Zealand farmers j would strongly oppose any attempt to I deal v/ith world surpluses of primary • produce hy restricting production. He j expressed the opinion that tiie proposed I constitution didn't explicity exclude i this possihility. I Mr. K. J. Holyoake went further and said New Zealand 's primary producers' . organisations represented hy the deleI gation, would never agree to participate in any world hody which would make them suhject to inter-Govern-mental control and restriction. Mr. Holyoake said New Zealand farmers in-. sisted upon freedom of action and con sidered any world federation of primary producers estahlished musfc remain completely outside Government domination, Mr. Mulholland, moving the amend ment, said New Zealand felt the federation should he an independent organisation representing the farmers' viewpoint and completely divorced from any Government organisation. It shouid be free to assist or criticise and, if necessary, "apply the boot to the trousers." In the view of the New Zealand representatives, the chief ohject-ive of the federation must be to devise practical means of distributing world surpluses of primary produce without asking the producer to "carry the baby. " Mr. Holyoake helieved the farmers of the world would answer the desperate cry for more food hut also helieved the farmers were apprehensive lest their response should ultimately lead to an acc'umulation of surpluses which wourd depress world prices to the producers. If the farmer were to he asked to produce the maximum now, he must he given an assurance of security during • suhsequent years. In order to do so i he must plan now hut unfortunately the j mere mention of the word "planning" was anathema to many farmers. Planaft'airs right through from the fields to of all kinds at home and in the international sphere of cpiantitative restrictions, for which they would have to pay the price. For this reason New Zealand felt that the proposed World Federation of Farmers must he entirely outside Government control and the amendment was designed to lay stress on this. "We insist that farmers and their organisations shall have a maximum say in the handling of their own affairs right through from the fields to the markets," he added. "I know that, back in New Zealand they will not ac.-

I cept an organisation that merely assists j-and advises inter-Governmental action. j If we do not do something ourselves, the politicians will and, speaking for myself I hate politicians — all of them. ' ' Before the amendment was discussed, the chairman, Mr. James Turner, suggested proceedings would he shortened if the New Zealand proposals were referred to a committee for report hut both Mr. Mulholland and Mr. Holyoake emphasised that they wished to explain their viewpoint to the conference bei fore it was handed. to a committee. The leader of the French delegation, M. A. Brousse, said France was entirely in accord with the New Zealand viewpoint. The amendment was referred to a ccmmittee which will report to the plenary session next week: New Zealanders have heen/appointed to the following committees: Finance and staff, Messrs Mulholland, Hale and Cooksley; food and agriculture, Messrs Cooksley, Grigg, Congdon and Holyoake; external relations and puhlicity, Messrs Grigg and Holyoake; consitiltion, Messrs Hale and Congdon.