THE FARMING INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 302, 17 September 1919, Page 10

THE FARMING INDUSTRY

NEW ZEALAND UNION

CONFERENCE OF'DELEGATES

THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH

The annual Dominion Conference of ■'■ the New Zealand Farmers' Union opened in tho. Dominion Farmers' Institute-, yes- : terdav morning. Sir James Ci. Wilson, president of the union, occupied tho , chair. ~',• In-Ms-presidential address, Mr James ! Wilson referred to tho Allied .victory over the Central Powers, and paid a tribute to the bravery of tho New Zealand : troops. Although'the last resting places of thousands of our men were in many climes, tho ground would be hallowed tor . all tiiiio where they lay. "If the,world ; has been, out of joint, and countries warr'l'in" RcrJnst eaci other." continued to 1 ■James Wilson, '/the season has followed 'suit.' Wo have'had-no disaster such as •'■we had l\c previous year in the North : Island by wav of'lire, but the snow i-losses of.lnst winter in the South havo ■ been considerable, as shown by the sheep "returns, where there is a decrease of ■ ■ 286,032. Hawke's Day, however, has a ' ptill more serious loss of 475,694, no ; doubt accounted for by tha loss in hog' 'Kets last winter. Tho total decreaso ol ■>sheop shown' is 1,026,859, which will .mean probably 18,000 or 20,000 fewer (balesr.of wool to export than tho previi oug vear. Hawke's Bay seems likely to ; recover the position this year, owing to a wetter season.. Although there tho pro'longer dry weather has not been con-ductive-to much winter feed, the hog- . gets have done better than, the previous ; vear, when the grass was too rank, As far as can bo seen, the nunvber of ewes 'turned out will-not bo less than the pre. vious year, and a good lambing will bring ■the numbers up again. It issatisfactory to see that stud sheep of high m">bty : are being so much sough 1 , after, and.their •' use in the various (looks of the Donvni- '■ lon must 'have the effect of increasing r the output of wool. Comparison ol e.v i ports vear by year during the war are ;■ impossible owing to tho fact that the :: etoVes are full of almost nil our nroducw. .'• and in some cases overflowing, so that '.-■one yenr'i products have been exported in the following year. Prices for ewes : dropped a little from the previous year, but have recovored slightly again. A -considerable number of ewes, puixliasecl ill 1 Hawke's Bay, were sent down to '.'.Canterbury, where there was an anticipated demand, but the autumn proved : soadvorso to the growth of grass that : the demand: did'-not eventuate.

The Scarcity of Ships. I "The most serious difficulty encounter-, ed was the scarcity of shipping, necessitating the storing •'-of practically tho whole' of "our- season's, output ..of meat. Tho congestion/ became so, acute that in gome districts, although lambs were fit to -freeze', they could not be taken., lhero :were,'n few "Weeks ago, according-to the Ministerial statement, some seven million carcasses-- in store. The class of vessels comiii" now .-with insulated space will probably "take'-£O,OOO carcasses on the average. -".WOavfl nlwut two months •■before the Jieyr season'commences, and it ■would take about eighty vessels to clear our "stores, or'fofty vessels a month. A\l) ■shall be lucky if wo get ton. In any case, there will be a great many car--casscs in store' in Now Zealand at the beginning of the next season, and a possibility of a serious congestion, which blocking o£ the.oxport of new seasons produce would lead to a serious financial position, especially with freezing companies, which •■ may not bo able to mako satisfactory 'financial arrangements. ''"Wool--is in,-much tho same position. Huge stocks both here and iiv Australia, are awaiting shipment, while the demand at Home is phenomenal, and, I am told, muclf'beybiid' the experts' opinion at Homo of what, it would be.

Butter and Cheese. ' "la {ho case of butter and clieese there U-aa every prospect of a- record season '■'■an fi-r as output wad concerned, lor in ' the dairiing districts there was green ; grass in January; but what we in Isew ' &aloiiir-cp.H-a- drought intervened, and ;■ act only did the cow* dry oft, but the 'Itoin was so lons .in coming that tlicro .:\aH-little growtli tor'winter iced, and it iifo be feared that cows have Mini-reil :''considerably during the winter, and in" '■■general are coining into milk in poo .condition, thus alVecimg the yield. With Iflll deference to the iVunistenal -statej meat,, yarding the sale «.i but or to .Ulie Imperial Government the buttei i.pioducer"has been hwd hit .by/he pur- ;; chase. The sale was satisfactory, but the fixing of the price for local snlca i, has reduced-thai price by Vis. a cwt for 'that sum has been deducted and eredued i.to a,fund to meet the 3d. diflorence be- ' twecn local sales and export prices. :\oV. 1 only this, but vhe money so deducted he ''previous vear was not -.distributed until .nearly twelve months, and dairy comi panics were forced to pay in ere,t upun 'l.the money due to them, and had to ean : upon-the'banks for assistance. It is ; difficult to see wliy the men wno work aile hoiir, for the least money, '•should be peaniseil to cheapen the cost :" article V diet-and that only to v'« small one-to those wnose wage or Salary compares more than ta\ourably with that of the producer. The dairyman in general is mcreij woiiv- ■: lag for wage,, and it has been ciilnulnlert i ffit he is.Vid at the rate of 4!d l.n ! hour, and when the payments no te- ■ ceives which are stated to be high, ami that the dairyman is making a nunl o money, are compared with the rate, , i. 1 ' in other industries, it wrtl lie seen 11,, : instead of exploiting the public, the public is exploiting the butter producer. •There is great difficulty in ge ting at tho . cost of production of a pound of battel, ■ tut tho Dairy Commissioner has given il : as his opinion that it cosU Is. -;.Sd, ana if 60 it must be seen that it is not b, .any means so profitable as the puolic ! 6eem to imagine to make an article o diet costing over Is. M. to produce ami ; be forced to sell it at Is ad nor Hi. «o the merchant, who is allowed to sell it ■at an increase of Id. to the retailer in "'mis, getting about id. profit, or a sis per cent, return for a month s credit i'The retailer again is allowed to sell at ; Ed. increase. The producer thus is the only man who docs not make a profit, 'and is called an exploiter in addition, : although his product is bought by men whose labour has had no fixed price pit / won it. The only thing that en ices [people into this class of farming is that i the dairy -farmer is his own master, but : of his family, who draw no wages, tli.il 'he is'able to pav his way and rear his ■ familv. Even if his children do not ill milk', his' wife does as much work as -the man in her endeavour to keep a i home- for .her e "Wren. What".makes;people tlimk that there is a great deal.of money made by the :' daii-v farmer is that he is. teinn cil In ''pay'tooiiigh a price for-his land, anil f the speculator, who simply buys to pass : »n at a higher, price, gets tho profit, and

tho man who buys to milk ami not to sell carries tho burden. Despite all warnings of the past, land is- boms bought today at a price based upon the present price of produce, and although it. is likaly that our products will for some timo fetch good prices, they are not likely to remain at the present level, and the prudent man will 'wo.it and sen' liow things go before investing in land. This rise in values of dairying land lias caused to ho brought under that system a good deal of land which was not hilhnrto considered suitable, and hw generally raised tiio price to an unheard of level. Unfortunately, it has not induced the farmer to make the most out of his cows, and there must be .great numbers of cows in the Dominion which do not pay. The testing of cows lias teen mostly confined to stud cattle, which, no doubt, help to raise the standard; but in ordinary herds thero acorns to be even less testing done than there was. "Cheese lias been nioro satisfactorily dealt with, and apart from tho matters alluded to above and the very dry autumn, • which materially shortened the eeason,' the dairy farmer 'has done fairly ■well. Tho by-products nro receiving more attention; casein is likely to continue in ,joO(l demand, but sugar of milk has not been yet manufactured to an) great extent, though several dairy companies have been making inquiries. Tho capital required is large, and a very large quantity of skim milk is also necessary before it can be economically manufactured. Dried milk is still receiving a great deal of attention, especially- in the Waikato. Kopresontativca from Tarnnaki and Wellington have also gone to ths States to make inquiries."

Problems For the Futuro. After dealing with the . relations between Capital and Labour, the luiuro financial outlook of tho country, ;tad the question of tho control of prices. Sir James Wilson eaid there were many grave problems to bo tackled, which had bsen rendered more acute owing to the; war. There was tho serious one of exchange, which had been entirely changed bv the war and the disturbance of trade; so that ono nation's debts could neither bo paid in goods nor in gold, and this affected production. There was tho cmestion of trausport, and how we wero to meet our engagements, and how taxation was to be levied to do so; how we wore'to increase the productivity of the land. All these questions affected tho farmer, some more so than others, and all nliko affected the cost of living, which was one of the most serious of all, and in tho attempt to make a reduction had come out of the fanners' pocket, often not to tho benefit of the consumer.

"la matters of exchange there is certainly one wlibh affects us materially." continuod Sir James Wilson. "The morn so bocauso the Impcral Govemment pavs for all our produce l in the Dominion enabling the banks to do a very profitable business and have entire control of exchange. If it were optional whether the payment for- our produce wis made :u London or in Now Zealand, much relief could be given The output of gold is dccreasiiw. The export of which has been in the past a factor in exchange. To-day the production of Kold is only about half of what it was ton years ago. If any further contracts am made with the Imperial Government thero certainly should bs an arrangement bv which payment could be mado cither in London or in the Dominion. Exchango rates are increasing costs in almost every case, and even our sacks and woolpacks are thus affected, the Americans are alarmed because they see that if the cost of their manufactures is raised by the high rate of exchange, their export will be affected. "The question of transport is also ono of vital importance. While wo must expect to pay for the transport of our produce to the world's market, we must see that an undue amount does not go to swell the enormous profits of the wealthy shipping companies. It would be use--i less to increase production if the value of the increase were to go to other countries by way of expenses. Future freight contracts, if they are nwessary must in the interest of the State and individual, be subjected to close scrutiny and only.completed'.after all those internsted have been in consultation. _ This 1 due-stion is not one which can bo discussed in public, but combination of all interests is'the only-safeguard we have aeainst a trade which may be said to be a monopoly, owing to amalgamation ot companies nnd working agreements. _ Mr. G. Sheat rDirasantlel) paid a tribute to Sir James Wilson for the manner in which ho had expressed the views of farmers in his speech. , On the motion of Mr. Slieat, a vote of thanks was accorded Sir James Milson for his address. , , . - Before the conference proceeded to rnnsidf-ration of the remits, a proposal that all business on the order paper be considered and disposed of before any other business (not. on the order paper) or deputation be introduced, was negatived. It was decided to leave all such matters to .the good sense of the conferi enco

Development Policy. Mr. 0. K.. Wilson (To luiiti) moved h "That the pressing need of a progressive development policy be urged on Hie Government, embracing amongst other things -(a) Tho making available of the unused lands of the Crown, and of Native and European owners, and by the acquisition bv tho Crown of properties already in production which can be acquired at prices which will allow of successful closer settlement; (b) provision arid irnnrovement of access by roads and railways, and communication by mail, telegraph, and telephone; (c) review and revision of our Public Service system and administration; (d) development of our facilities aud encouragement'of agricultural education; (e) the improvement and cheapening of the means ci transport both in our internal and external trade; (f) comprehensive development of hydroelectric power; (g) development of harbourage -where' needful, and the development of facilities for the navigation of our inland waterways; (h) the protection against exploitation of our products by trusts and combines, and the discouragement of the holding of land for purely spi:culati';,y purposes." _ The remit was seconded by Air. .1. n. Joll (Hawlce's Bay), and carried without discussion. The following remit from Auckland was then placed before the conference: "That a comprchensivo report be prepared as quicklv as possible on all Hie unused lands "of the. Dominion (including all Crown. Native, or European tenures), settiu« out the. natural products thereon j form of settlement each block bc-3fc suited for. and as to the proper provision needful for road and railway access to make them available for settlement, and provide for future developments, with recommendations n's to the best means | and sequence of. bringing these lands into production. And that for this purpose one or more special boards bo appointed in each land district, comprised of three competent men, to collect evidence and- prepare such reports in conjunction with the Commissioner of Crown Lands in each district, (b) 11ml on these reports being furnished a central advisory board of representatives from the various district boards be set up to collate the information contained m the various reports, and formulate a Dominion report of proposed development lor pre.u'iilJition to the Ministry, and to act in an advisory capacity in the formation of a comprehensive scheme of development for the Dominion, (c) That authority 1)0 ohlained for tho raising ot the loans required to carry out the scheme of development, such loans to ba absolutely earmarked for the special portions of tlie scheme for which they are raised. Mr. E. Maxwell (Taranaki) moved an amendment that all the words alter production" be struck out. • Both the amendment and the motion were rejected.

Resumption of Lands. M"r. K. T). Duxfield (Auckland) moved: "that where it is found that a block of land, which is best suited for msiing or 'farming purposes, has hepu held over for eight-years,-till end of 1919, and fivo years thereafter, without proper and reasonable provision having been liiudo for bringing such land into production, cither bv making use of Ihu natural product?" of such land, or by bringing it into production l)y improvements, tho

Crown may resume such hind for settlement at the lirice paid at tho timo of its acquirement by the owner, plus 'ii per cent, couipouml interest ou that sum, from date, of requirement, or such lessor sum as nuiv bo shown to bo tho present market valuo of tho block tor settlement purposes." The remit' was negatived without discussion. , Un tho recommendation of tho Auckland division, the following remit wm> carried: "That occupiers of Native endowment land be granted the option ot purcliasii«; tho freehold, and nil bo thrown open on (hose terms as required, and the proceeds invested for the beneiit of the endowments for which they were intended."