PRODUCTS OF THE LAND

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3117, 22 June 1917, Page 5

PRODUCTS OF THE LAND

DIFFICULTIES OF TRANSPORTING THEM ACTION OF THE GOVERNMBNT SPEECH BY MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE By Telegram - )—Soecial Reporter. Palmerston N., June 21. There was a big gathering of farmers at the banquet in tno Agricultural Hall hero to-night, when the ilinister of Agriculture (the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald) spoke on several subjects of vital interest to fanners and of general interest to the Dominion. Mr. Mac Donald said it was very pleasing that the fanners were making an etforfto keep production up, and it behoved all to do their utmost. Ho had been criticised for a certain attitude ie had taken regarding dairying, but _ho hoped and believed that prices for dairy produce would remain good. Up to the present a- Government ollice in AVellington had paid out X-17,171,000 for meat, and einco December one of the offices he controlled had paid nut .£11,000,000 for wool. Never in theti history had the pastoral, industries had such good prices for their products. It was the hardest task any Government could undertake to trar to tow* inforccmente and maintain P but owing-to the loyalty of the men and the women of the connIrV "things !>ad been made possible Hβ lioped it would continue to the end ° OroTtbe nsat difficulties «t the present time was shipping, and there w<n e very large quantities of meat, bntlo , and cheese in the cool stores to-day. A good deal was being said .about Mo apathy of the Government in «>o matter of securing ships to tako away the products. AU he could ear wnstiwt ;he best had been done and tlio pieatist real displayed by tho Ministry. *ho l*>sition of the Ministry at tho present ■time was that, while they wore cnt.e.sed by the people, they could not «nbr tt« certain shins were- coming here. Apait from tho Union Company vessels,, them had been a certain number of refngerator steamers trading here, but in >anoUB wars that number had been reduced. Hoover other vessels had been Averted Tom Australia. They were told that ceitein trusts had secured the of ehips from New Zealand, but that was not so, and the reason -why New Zealand steamers occasionally went to otto places was to fill in time which would Saw to bo spent at waiting for back loading, '.the taimeis rest a«n»d that everything; possiblo waa'being done. •Hβ had pointed out fhe importance of trying to clear tio cool stores before the new seasons preduce camo in. , . There had been a good deal or ne D o tiation recently with tho Imperial Government regarding butter and cheese. Hβ was not prepared to make a public statement on the matter, but he believed that when the , announcement was made « would be received with satisfaction. "I think I need touch on the butter levy"■Mα , . Mac Donald remarked. A 'voice: Yes, that is popular. Mr. MacDonaM: "Well, if it is popular ■I will have a so." He said it was probably unfortunate that butter had to be treated separately from tho other products Everyone asked to bo allowed to use the world's markets for their products Where would the world's markets be but for the British Navy? (Hear, hear.) Butter was not quite in the same position as other New Zealand products which the Imperial Government wanted r feeding the Army. The question had arisen also of whether tho whole of the butter would not be exported and, none left for local nse. It was extraordinary. The farmers had received not far short for this season's butter of what they got last season, and they still had a biff quantity in store. If the Government had not acted, butter would have gone up to two shillings per pound locally. The pre-war price of butter to the iarmer was 11.2 d.. anil the present figure was 7-Jd. higher, after deducting tho levy. Surely the farmer was not .being hurt much. It had to be remembered that the Government's duty was to deal out. jus--4-i/va +« nil canfmnQ f\T TMA TlPfiTllP.

"I want to tell the landlords of this country," tho Minister added, "that they have an absolute duty to the Dominion to soe that it irets served. I haye no desire to interfere with their affairs. It is a most unpleasant duty to interfere with custom, but there comes a time in the history of every nation when restrictions have to be made."