PRODUCERS AND THE GOVERNMENT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 229, 21 June 1919, Page 6

PRODUCERS AND THE GOVERNMENT

The ventilation of grievances' is much in favour at the moment—it seems to be part and parcel of the inevitable shaking down after the war—and it need occasion no surprise that farmers have joined lustily in the chorus. At the meetings held at Palmerston North during the last few days a- great deal of criticism and some rather bitter reflections have been passed upon the manner in which the Government controlled the disposal of primary produce during the war. No doubt there is a measure of justification for some of these strictures'. Certainly some features in' the transactions with the Imperial Government might, in ideal circumstances, have been considerably improved upon, but it is quite obvious that little is now to be gained by'extending debate on the subject or abusing the Government for not doing more than it did in conditions that are mildly described as extraordinarily difficult. Looking at the. matter candidly, farmers are bound to recognise that if they have some apparent grievances in connection with the disposal of produce they have al; the same time a- great deal to be thankful for. It- is bare justice to the Government to recognise that it\had to overcome formidable difficulties in finding a market for primary products throughout the war period and securing as much shipping as it did for the transportation of these products. Local producers are. able to point out that enormous quantities of foodstuffs from South America and elsewhere poured freely into Great Britain during the war years, and were sold in most instances at prices considerably higher than were obtained for corresponding New Zealand exports of superior quality. It is absolu : tcly unfair to base criticism upon these facts, howevpr, without takingdue account of circumstances which were bound to result in placing this country at, a serious disadvantage. The factor of distance from the market, of course, 'was of all hut decisive importance. While the war lasted the British Government was compelled to . subordinate everything else to securing the, greatest possible quantity of foodstuffs in the least possible time and with a minimum engagement of shipping. In the matter of food supplies quality counted for less than quantity, and. where the choice was open there was every possible incentive to employ ships in'.short, instead of long, voyages. In the aggregate these were conditions supremely unfavourable to New Zealand, and the cutrome might easilv have been exceedingly costly to the Dominion in the matter of marketing its primary produce. Any criticism .of (he Government for not making more favourable arrangements than ;t did with the Imperial Government is heavily discounted when account is taken of these conditions, and producers who look at Die matter from a- reasonable standpoint arc bound l to admit the fact.