FARMERS AND RACES

Chronicle (Levin), 4 July 1946, Page 2

FARMERS AND RACES

The iitttMidanee of fnnnevs at vace ' lucetiiigs, iuontioiied in the coiir.se of eorrespomlence, belween the secretaiv ( Alr. 0. C. Gillies) arnl tlie Alinister of Health and meinber for Oamaru (Alr. ■ Nordmeyer ) , eaused some amusement at a recent meeting of the North Olago executive of l-Y'dcrated Farmors, reporls the Oamaru Mail. When inforiniug Alr. Xordmeyer of the pledge to produce to the muxiinum, which was made at the previous meeting, Alr. Oillies went on to say that the farming community was prepared to make a suprenie ell'ort, but the snc.riiiee must bo sprend throughout all sectious of the community. " As expressed recently,'' continued Mr. Giliies, "the furiuer resents being made a beast of hurdon while totalisator ligures soar each Saturday while he stays on liis farin. Primary producers do not wish to bargain where death and starvaliou are at stake, but it is eonsidered that eonsiderable good would result by taking farmors ' organisatious into the conlidence of the Governmeut and entrusling to them some rosponsibilitv for a drive for increased production. ' ' . Jn reply, Mr. Nordmeyer stuted that he had iiil'orniod the Prime Alinister of the pledge to iucrease production, and addejl: "I think, however, you will agree on refleetion that oue sentence in your letter may be opexi to misconslruction. "While 1 personaily do not frequent the racecourse, L am iuformed it is hardly correct to suggcst that farmors, as a elass, refrain from attending race meetings. Lndeed, there is much criticism, quite unjustixied, of course, in the other direetion. " (Laughter.) There was no discussion on fhe correspondence. ^