FARMERS' FEARS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20085, 3 November 1939, Page 4

FARMERS' FEARS

STATE CONTROL POST-WAR RETENTION GUARANTEED PRICE SCALE TOO LOW FARM LABOUR SHORT (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Grave apprehension as to the possibility of primary production being maintained at its previous level, was expressed by a representative of a deputation of the executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union and provincial presidents which waited on the Minister of Finance find Marketing, the Hon. W. Nash last evening.

The Dominion president, Mr. W. W. Mulholland, said the cause of this fear, which was to be found in every farming area and which had given rise to farmers’ meetings which had been held recently all over New Zealand, were certain things which had taken place during the past few months in New Zealand. Also present at the deputation were the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, the Minister of Labour, the Hon. P. C. Webb, and the Minister of Lands, the Hon. F. Langstone.

Mr. Mulholland emphasised that the movement to hold these meetings had been spontaneous. Some of file factors which were operating to unsettle the farmer might be cited as follows:—■

(1) Fear that the war was being used as an excuse for the introduction of permanent State control of industry in New Zealand.

(2) Inadequacy of the guaranteed price for dairy produce.

(2) The impossibility of procuring adequate and suitable farm labour. (4) The recent amendment to the Marketing Act taking away the safeguard of die price formula. Assurance Sought

“Wo are not here to protest against the Government having extraordinary and far-reaching powers in this crisis.” .Mr. Mulholland said, “but, sir, the very fact that the Government has those very wide powers, if it cared to make use of them, makes it equally necessary that the Government shall say very frankly that it does not intend to make any use of them except for the purpose of dealing with the present emergency.” The inadequacy of the guaranteed price, he said, had been a considerable factor in the meetings which had been • held. The Farmers’ Union supported tiie representation of the Dairy Industry Council completely. It also felt it was perhaps particularly unfortunate that the announcement of the continuation of the same guaranteed price should have appeared side by side with the announcement that workers on public works were to have an increase in wages. The farmers felt they were being treated in a different way from the rest of the community. Attractions to Labour On the farm labour question, Mr. Mulholland said the union had had reports of applications for men suitable for farm work which local placement officers had had to admit they could not fill.

Mr. Webb: Of experienced farm workers?

Mr. Mulholland: Reasonably experienced. The competition of other industries, Mr. Mulholland added, and, in particular, of public works, which were able to offer more money and shorter hours, was one of the chief difficulties in regard to obtaining farm labour.

“It is our earnest desire to assist the Empire in this crisis by expanding production to the utmost limit of our ability, but we feel it is our duty, in the interests both of the farmer and the Government, to draw attention to the difficulty that may arise if the British Government, after we have developed our production, restricts our exports to the United Kingdom,” Mr. Mulholland said.

“We urge also that adequate steps should be taken at the conclusion of the war for the disposal of surpluses which have accumulated during that period. Wc desire to assure the Government that if it is necessary, in view of the war situation, for the community to make sacrifices, the farmers are prepared at all times to accept their full share.”