Farmers Opposed To Lump Sum Payments

Chronicle (Levin), 3 June 1948, Page 2

Farmers Opposed To Lump Sum Payments

• - •' 1 * >; 1 Strong ,repres£ht&:tiqfis in regard to the paym;ent of lump suips t'o.the New Zealand Govefiiment; by the: British Gove>mment for New ' Zea- 1 land produce' were ' made' to the | member for' the- district, 'Mi\ J. J.i Maher, by; a;,. gt'oup "of Te Roro rnembers of Fedefated ' Farmers atj the cdnclusion of a public meeting in Te Hofo ori Tuesday- riight. The bone of contention was the stabilisation agreement, slgned by the Farmers' Federation in 1943, j which gave the Government the right to obtain a price for primary produce as well as lump sum payments amounting . to over £30,000,000 during five years. Now there is a movement afoot to have the agreement cancelled, or that portion of the agreement which deals with the matter. In this connection a deputation of eight farmers, headed by the president of the Te Horo branch of Fe'derated Farmers, Mr. V. J. Oottle, asked Mr. Maher to give his support to them in having the cl'ause of this agreement oi* the whole agreement cancelled, and if necessary a fres.h one .drawn, up. The appeal was * made to Mr. Maher, not only as a member' of Parliament, but also as the treasurer 'of Federated Farmers.' *■ Mr. Maher's reply to t'he deputation was brief and to the'point. He said: "I'll gladly support ydu." On January 18, 1943, the Farmers' Union approached the Prime Minister and urged that steps be taken to introduce an effective ecopomic ! stabilisation policy. ' On June 18, 1943, six months after the represcntations had been made, the Government presented an agreement to Federated Farmers covering fann products stabilisation, which had been drawn up iby the Crown Law OiRce. This was jaccepted by that organisation. | The federation di'd not realise tliat clause five of the agreement; gave the Government. the right to obtain a price for primary produce, ;as well as.- lump. .sum payments -for that produce' amounting . to £12.000.000 stirling and a . fur.ther £4,000,000 per. annum fo^* .five year's. The, • Government. claihied . . thaa this sum, which. has amoiinted to over £30, 000, "000 to d'ate, and p^id as a lump' sum by the British Government, was not the farmers' money for their produce, but could be use*d as the Government decided in conformity with clause five -of the agreement. This was conteSted by the federation. biit in view of the agreement beirig . signed it had no option but to accept • the Government's decisioh on> the matter. '

The primary '-produce, contracts for butter a'nd meafe are now un^er review in Londonriby, representa-' tives of the Me'at - and Dairy Board as well as Mr. *Ashwin, of the New Zealand Treasury. • . - ; The fe'deration is strongly of the •opinion that the Government is endeavouring to again arrange for lump sum payments on primary produce to be paid in connection with the contracts at present being neaotiated. It is, therefore, definitely opposed to this move and jhas not only instructed the representatives of the Meat and Dair1' jBoard to rerist the inclusion of lump sum pavments, but is als'c pressing the New Zealand Government ao cancel the iniquitous and uniust clause five.of the agreement signe'd on June 18, 1943, and, if necessary, arrange a" completely new agreement. This is the history of the case ac it was put before Mr. Maher by Mr J. J. Galloway, a member of the delegation. The rnembers of the deputation were as foll-ows; — Messrs. V. J CotDe, J. J. Galloway, E. J. Jensen, R. W. Jenkinl K. Sniers. T. L Arcus, A. Tews and C. Stewart;