Who Promised Increased Production?

Chronicle (Levin), 23 September 1949, Page 3

Who Promised Increased Production?

WELLINGTON, Sept. 22. The promise of increased production was made not by him this year but by New Zealand f armers ' representatives more than 12 months ago, said the chairman of the Aid for Britain nafional couneil, Mr. F. P. Walsh, when --'addressing the Dominion council of "Federated Farmers. Mr. Walsh said the wished to make it quite clear who ,had actually made commitments for vreater production, so that he could not oe accused of havipg usurped the authority of others. Mr. Walsh read a letter which he sent to Mr. J. W. Earl, past president of the North Canterbury executive of Federated Farmers, concerning a report. which appeared in a Christchurch newspaper. "From the wording of the report it would seem that yo'u personally ; criticised me for promising in London a 25 per cent. increase in our production in the next five years. This is obviously a case of a cub reporter misreporting your remarks since a farmer in your position as immediate past president of the provincial execu- - tive of the federation, would not have fallen into this error," said the letter. "For some obscure reason, the leaders of the dairy industry, including Mr. W. E. Hale, eonveniently ignoring the quid pro quo of increased production given by their own representatives when negotiating the long term agreement last year, have tried to pass the responsibility to me. The Minister of Agriculture announced these agreements in 1948/ re&arking concerning the meat agreement that 'a commitment has been made' and referring to the increase of 50,000 tons annually as 'a target to be reaehed not later than 1955'." Mr. Walsh then quoted at length newspaper reports of references made last year by representatives of the farming industry to the agreement. "By 1955 you wili agree we should have done .with butter rationing in New Zealand but this will mean that we must increase our dairy production by more than 20 per cent. if our exports are to be 20. per cent. above those of last season. Again our own population by 1955 will be considerably greater than in 1947-48 and some account must be taken of this fact when estimating the increased production of both dairy' products and meat necessary to enable us to keep our export commitments with Great Britain. "It will probably be necessary to obtain something like an overall increase of 25 per cent. in our food production by 1955 if we are to keep faith," Mr. Walsh continued. "I have taken two years off the agreed seven years, firstly, beeanse more than a whole year has slipped by since Messrs Marshall, Candy and Grigg negotiated their seven year agreement, and, secondly, because the flocks and herds will have to be in existence by 1954 to get the ctesired increases in the 1954-55 season. We have therefore only five

years left to get these increases. - "Just why Mr. Hale and others should now be trving to unload responsibility for these commitments to me, is difficult to say. Perhaps Mr. Hale now thinks we cannot get the increases he spoke of 12 months ago. Frankly I didn't see why certain dairy industry leaders are getting cold feet. I can't believe their representatives spoke with tongues in their elieeks last year when they offered increased production in exchange for the long term price." Mr. Walsh said that with full and friendly cooperation, New Zealand could get increased production and the British people their food.