The Dominion WEDNESDAY, MAT 28, 1919. THE PRODUCER AND HIS PROBLEMS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 208, 28 May 1919, Page 6

The Dominion WEDNESDAY, MAT 28, 1919. THE PRODUCER AND HIS PROBLEMS

In the, determination they have manifested of late to mako their weight tell increasingly in national affairs, farmers are not showing more regard for their own interests than for those of the whole Dominion. Primary production is and is like'y to be for long enough the foundation of this country's prosperity, and it is right and an indispensable condition of sound progress that farmers should be well to the fore in dealing with all questions of national scope. At the same time, in demanding such conditions as will perniit the successful prosecution of their industry and its free expansion, primary producers are entitled, not only as a matter of justice, but because mutual interests are involved, to the sympathy and support of all sections of; the community. It is. not as commonly recognised as it ought to be that undue interference with primary industry is bound to undermine general prosperity. Yet it is obvious enough that if primary production and the secondary industries it more or less directly supports wore eliminated in this country very little in the way of business or industrial enterprise would remain. Due emphasis was laid upon these considerations at the Provincial Conference of the Farmers' Union which opened in Wellington yesterday, and the. early proceedings added to evidence already visible that farmers are determined henceforth to take a more active and united.part not only in repelling unwarranted attacks upon their industry, but in the domain of public affairs generally. The presidential address delivered by Mil. G. L. Marshall is marked throughout by sound sense and a competent grasp of the ifrgent and difficult problems with which farmers'and the Dominion are confronted. Exception was taken by some delegates to his outspoken references to tho malign influenco of "loud-mouthed demagogues," but it is clear from his observations as a whole that ho spoke,from no narrow standpoint and condemned only those elements in the Labour movement which are palpably mischievous and irresponsible. . Farmers, as he said, have a part to play in proserving New Zealand "from tho hands of irresponsible people who wish to force upon us a kind of social terrorism which will paralvse industry and bring ruin on tho community." This assuredly' docs not imply that farmers should take up a position of selfish isolation and of antagonism to other sections of the community which are pursuing legitimate ambitions, ft implies in fact the exact contrary. There is no permanent obstacle to the fullest co-operation between farmers as a class and a Labour party sincerely intent on promoting social betterment. But it is a matter of common sense to recognise that there are men now conspicuous in the Labour movement who are the implacable enemies not a one of primary producers, but of all. who stand for progress by constitutional methods.

Sound organisation and loval combination of effort aro undoubtedly essential if farmers are to take a' full part m politics and handle eltcclively the various problems— some of them vary grave and per-plexing-with which they arc faced. Iresumably no attempt will be made to create a separate political party solely representative of those engaged in primary industry. Such a policy, oven if it were likely to prove practicable, would involve the adoption of altogether too narrow a standpoint. It is not more necessary in their own interests and in those of the Dominion that farmers should stand unitcdlv together than that they should seek the co-' operation of all sections of the community which are prepared to support and promote a genuinely progressive policy. As an organised group, however, distinct from any political party, but able to bring powerful pressure to,bear upon all parties, farmers would be well placed to defend I heir right's and 1 prevent the just claims of their industry being overlooked. The effective organisation of primary producers all over the Dominion is the more necessary since it is evident that in some matters vitally affecting primary production and export trade anything short of completely united action would be futile. This applies with particular force to questions like that of shipping transport, and the equally pressing problem raised by the encroachments of foroign inter-

ests which ars_ well-advanced towards establishing world-wide control of the meat trade. The existing position, from the standpoint of producers interests, and in' view of the necessity of maintaining a flourishing export trade in primary produce, is serious. Pro-, dncers are not only called upon to pay high frcightsrbut arc seriously handicapped Try inability to obtain the shipping that is needed to convey their to market. In some respects the situation is modified for the time being by the Imperial purchase of produce, but the relief thus afforded is at best temporary, and even now the congestion of meat in the cold stores of the Dominion seriously threatens the prosperity of primary-'industry. The extent to which.-shipping and other international trading interests are interderjendent is suggestively illustrated in a comparison of the position in Australia with that which obtains in this country as regards cold storage. While iii Australia the stores are comparatively clear, in this country there is an _ accumulation of something over six million freight carcasses of meat in store. The onlv explanation which offers itself' is that suggested by Mr. Mabshali, in his presidential address—that the American Meat Trust, which owns a large proportion of the Australian output of meat, Had probably been able to influence the allocation of shipping. If such conditions can arise in a period of Imperial Government control of shipping and of the trade in primary produce, it is only too clear that producers arc faced by tremendous obstacles' in attempting to secure the unimpeded transport of their produce to market and reasonable rates of freight.

Yesterday's discussion showed that the project of establishing a farmers' shipping concern is not regarded as hopeful, and that those who have examined the question on behalf of producers are opposed also to the establishment of a Government line of steamers. This attitude is not to be wondered at when account is taken of the poor results attained from- Government control or ownership of shipping where they fmve been tried,, and the apparent impossibility of separating the shipping transport serving New Zealand from the complex ■ and world-wide organisation of which it now forms part. Apart from problems of management and mainwhich would be formidable if not insoluble in the case of a New _ Zealand-owned mercantile floet, it seems impossible, in view of the conditions governing import trade, that such a fleet, capable of transporting the total export produce, could be operated without a great deal of dead running. The. only hopeful step_ immediately opon to producers in this matter 'seems to be that of so organising export trade that they will be able to negotiate as a unit with' shipping interests. The opinion' expressed by a delegate that in these conditions producers could _ dictate their own terms to shipping companies is somewhat optimistic. But they would at least be much better placed than thcy.aro at present to demand fair conditiqns of transport, and also to tako any further step with the same object in view_ that may seem necessary or advisable as time goes on. Producers certainly cannot go wrong in making unity the keynote of their policy whether in dealing with shipping transport and with attempts by foreign interests to secure control of export trade, or in obtaining locally that consideration for their industry which its national importance demands.