FARMING AFFAIRS

Chronicle (Levin), 9 July 1946, Page 7

FARMING AFFAIRS

(This weekly column is "isupplied by Federated Fariners of N.Z., lue. Tke. information givcn is offieial, but auv views exprcssed are tkose of tke Federation, and are not uecessarily tkose of tke newspaper.) • ' Farm Trainees Tke Minister of Eekabilitation lius replied to protests niade by tke Meat and Wool Councj.1 p.t the action of kis Department in breaking" contracts and eharging farmers an extra 5s per week for' trainees' beeaus'e tke bdard allowance under the Minimum Wage Act kas been fixed at £1. fSimilar criticism was also made of tke : Department 's action in raising trainees"' Avages at tke e,xpense of tke farnier during tlie currency of tke eontract. Mr. Skinner - kas replied" tkat tke recent amendments made to tke rates of wages and subsidy in respect to farm trainees were necessa'ry in 'order to comply witk tke provisions of tke Minimum : Wage Act. Any farm einployee must be paid at least tke amount providcd for and appropriate alteratiou to existing contracts could not be ax'oided by tke lteliabilitation Board. A small increase in tke iuitial sixmontkly subsidy t rate was authorised and it was not considered tkat tke action taken kad been unfair to tke farnier eniployers concerued. Oil Puel Prices In reply to a request for a flocrease in tke price of oil fuel in tke intorest of increased production, tke acting Minister of Finance kas written to kead oflice tkat priinary pioducers kave been very reasonablv treated and it would not be equitabl'e to make further c.oncessions. In spite of increased costs, said Mr. Hullivan, tke selling price oi petroleum products generally kad been keld since tke inception of stabilisation. Moreover, witkin recent months, tke price of petrol kad been progressivelv reduccd by a total of 3d per gallon. Users of agricultufal t'ractors xvere entiiled to a rei'und of taxation at tke rate of lOd per gallon aud' tkey lnul not kad\Jo bear any increases in taxation on motor spirit imposed since .1037. Fencing Wire Supplles Tke Minister of lndustries and (,'omI merco kas notified kead olkce tkat importers of wire kave been given evervj facility to buy all tke Knglisk wire' offering. Tke amount tkey kad beeni able to book to date, kowever, was Uis- ' appointing. To a request for the importatiou of j !a better quality of wire, the Minister ' has asked for delails of tke circum- . stanc.es prompting the refpiest. If lowgrade Avire was being iinportcd kc1! would kave the matter in vestigated. ' Dairy Supply Control 1 | Tke national dairy cnnference in j I Wellington last week unanlmously ear-j ried a remit asking tliat tke. Dairy1 tiupply Control Order, 10-15, should be ros'oked and tlius give buck to dairy j farmers the right to make their own ehoice whether they supplied cheese or buttor factories. Education Board Leases An Auckland request. that the term of Education lieserve leases .slioukl be 6(5 , ymtrs-iW.ith.rtke perpetual right of renewal kas been rofused b}" tke ,Uo vernmcnt. Tke Minister qf Ijtinds lias written to kead office tkat .education feserves are lands keld in trust and the present tenns of 21 yoars or 33 years were considered to be reasonable terms for tke rcnt to be ronewed. I Dominion Council Me.eting j First called -for June 23, tlie nexl j ineeting of tke Dominion Council of j Federated Farmers has now been ur- | ranged for Thursday and Friday of i next week, July 11 and 12. A considerj able amount of general business is in j cluded on the agenda. Details of tke agreeinent reacked witk Ihe Farmers' Union (Auckland Frovince) will also be discussed and an invitation has been extended to that ofganisatiou to be j reprcsented at the meetiug. Hospital Rating Tlie Govoriinient cannot be draun' into niaking any statemout eonimitting! it to support of the recommendation oi I the Select Committee 011 local body! government in respect of hosjiital rat-j ing. To represeutations of the federa-l i tion asking for legislation to impleineut ; j tkose recommendatious, tke Alinister ol'j Internal All'airs kas written tkat ke is I unable to make a deiinile statement I regarding the committee \s qll'orts but; "vou may rest assured tkat your represeutations ivill receive tke earnCst consideration of the Government. t