Wool Prices

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 256, 28 July 1942, Page 4

Wool Prices

iSirHMr- Barclay; Minister of Marketing, sets out to justify the Govern-.’ ment taking part of the increase in the price of wool. He says a 1000sheep farm is only a one-man farm-’ Well, I have been sheep-farming for? forty years in .this district, and I consider it would take a super man to do all the work on such a farm; while I am attending to that number of sheep, how would ploughing, drain-cleaning, hay-making, weeding and other maintenance work go along? ■lt is not fair for-Mr. Barclay -to in- • sinuate that butter, firewood and vegetables cost nothing; all cream goes to the factory and the farmer has to pay market price for the butter he uses; though I have plenty of firewood on the farm, I find it is cheaper,to run an all-electric home than pay for the getting of the firewood, and electricity . is about double the price in some country districts than it is in Wellington. The same (applies.to vegetables: I find it is cheaper to buy my vegetables in Carterton than pay for the growing of them.- —T tun, etc., SHEEP FARMER, Carterton, July 25.

Sir,- —It is very obvious that the Minister of Marketing litos had little experience of sheep-farming, otherwise fie would not make such statements as appeared in. his reply to your editorial. The Minister quotes a farm carrying 1000 sheep as an example. I farm 1200 sheep on third-class country (only labour employed is for shear- ' Ing). A mixed flock Consisting. of wethers, ewes and hoggets, may, in, a good season, average 71b., not 10, as stated by the Minister. The farmers with greatly reduced staffs have managed to maintain production, and in some cases to increase it, by considerable overtime work. The Minister, of course, thinks we are not entitled to overtime, though all other workers are; in fact, just recently cases were published of men refusing to work without a guarantee of overtime. The Minister also mentions £l3 as the increase to wage workers instead of £26, as the workers have had two rises of 5 per cent. —one August 12, 1940, and again on April 7, 1942. —I am. etc., KING COUNTRY FARMER. July 25.