PRIMARY PRODUCTION

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 258, 30 July 1942, Page 3

PRIMARY PRODUCTION

New Zealand’s Post-War Position NO CAUSE FOR ANXIETY SEEN "Five years ago 1 drew attention to the danger of the creation of two separate New Zealands—a town and a country one,” said Mr. 11. D. Acland (Christchurch), president of the New Zealand Sheepowners’ Federation, in moving the adoption of the annua] report at the thirty-second annual meeting of . the federation in Wellington yesterday. “This trend,” he continued, “has been, more or less affected by the alteration in our industrial system due to war necessities, but the greatest care will be needed if we are to avoid a further discrepancy between the positions of the town and country communities, particularly primary producer exporters. “The testing time for this will undoubtedly come after the war, when world affairs generally will require all-round adjustment. We in New Zealand cannot hold aloof from our share in this, and provided we can keep our internal economy fairly in balance as between our domestic costs and prices when set against our export receipts, New Zealand should have no great cause for anxiety when the time for post-war stocktaking arrives. “I believe we shall be in a much stronger jvosition as a primary producing country for export than will be those countries who depend for their balance of trade on the export and sale of manufactured goods. Workers in factories in these countries must be fed and clothed, and our products should be able to compete successfully on such markets for some years after the war, or at least for the reconstruction period, provided our eosts of production of exports is not forced up to an impossible extent. “I am no pessimist with regard to our ability to hold our end up as regards relative value of export production in competition with any other primary producing country, and if we fail to do so, it will only be because of the ill-balanced enthusiasms of certain sections of the community, who apparently hold the opin•ion that by collective action of their particular section they can force the general community to provide for them a higher standard of money wages than can be justified by the market value of the produce of their labour or service.” Concern Regarding Facial Eczema. Concern was expressed at reported traces of facial eczema in stock killed at a works in the Auckland district, and the following resolution was passed:— “That it shall be the duty of the Government inspector at each freezing works to report direct to the Agricultural Department and the owner of the stock affected all cases of stock killed at any particular freezing works which show the least trace of facial eczema.” Mr. T. A. Duncan, chairman of the N.Z. Meat Producers' Board, with Mr. J. Fraser, general manager of the board, gave an address on matters concerning the- present storage and export position regarding meat for export, and the position as disclosed by the speakers showed a marked improvement in the situation, and indicated that, provided no exceptional shipping losses occurred, there should be no cause whatever for anxiety concerning storage space, or with respect to the disposal of stock already on the hooks.

A long discussion took place on the question of the payment of the 15 per cent, increase in wool prices recently announced by the British Government in order to meet the increased cost of wool production, and the memorandum which accompanied the resolutions submitted to Mr. Barclay on June 25 from the conference of woolgrowers was unanimously endorsed, and it was agreed that the increase in price granted by Britain should be paid in full. The election of officers resulted as follows :—President, Mr. H. D. Acland (Canterburv), re-elected; vice-president, Mr. C. H. Williams (Gisborne), re-elected; hon. treasurer. Mr. E. Hay (Canterbury), re-elected; auditors, Messrs. McKellar, McCallum and Ellyett (Christchurch), reelected.