DISCOURAGING TOE PRODUCER
Sir,—Another backhanded blow has just been administered by our sapient Cabinet Ministers in stopping the export of potatoes "and thereby lessening the income; of the Dominion, at a time, when a Commission is sitting to promote industrial enterprise and increase its income. Potato-growing, one of our primary industries, which flourished in the South Island' in days gone by, has been languishing during tho last five or six years owing, to the lessened yield and greatly increased cost of production, and' only those of a speculative turn who are oontent with - spasmodic returns every fovj years, continue to grew them. The results during the last ftw or tlx vears have been disastrous to main cWO growers, and only some areas who cater /« «hs iwre
reaped commensurate return for their labour. » The areas under main crop have been greatly reduced for the reasons already given, but an increased yield, which in the opinion of some is more tliaii sufficient for Dominion requirements .this season, and a spasmodic demand from Sydney at a payable price, had raised tho hopes of those who continued to grow them. These, alas, have been shattered by this unwarranted Order-iu-Council, dictated no doubt- by some political charlatan, who has tho ears of - our Cabinet Ministers or may have them by tho ears. Our Acting-Primo Minister and Minister of Agriculture who aro 110 doubt responsible, seem to think it the duty of .farmers to supply all and sundry with foodstuffs at a minimum price regardles oi whether it returns the grower any reward whatever for his. labour and risk. . Their short-sighted policy, ' instead of lessening the cost of food is rapidly raising it, and the middleman, who is fattening at the farmers' experience, is in no way liuiitecl as to his j-rofit by the Board of' Trade, and. can and does'chargo Anything he pleases for his wares and charges for .distributing. . ■ . ' • ■ •_ A case in point is the price-, now being exacted by by the Dominion woollen factories for their manufactures, which is a scandal, and people who are not behind the scenes wonder why such a state of affairs is permitted.—l am, etc.. " FARMER.
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Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 134, 1 March 1919, Page 3
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358DISCOURAGING TOE PRODUCER Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 134, 1 March 1919, Page 3
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