DAIRY FARMERS' COSTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20108, 30 November 1939, Page 7

DAIRY FARMERS' COSTS

INTENSE RESENTMENT MINISTER’S ATTITUDE HIGHER PRICE REFUSED (Por Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. In opening the special Dominion conference of ward delegates of the New Zealand Dairy Board, the chairman. Mr. W. E. Hale, outlined the reasons for the conference. Mr. Hale «aid that it had been called because of the great unrest throughout the industry and because the board wished to have from them clear-cut decisions as to the lines along which they should now move. In all the many years he had been associated with the industry, he had never known such widespread dissatisfaction as existed at present, and which had been shown so clearly by the great attendance at meetings called in the various farming districts. Difficult Position He said that those present were the leaders of the industry elected by the dairy factories and all were intimately acquainted with the industry’s problems, and the board felt their judgment on the issues before the industry would be sound. The farmers’ greatest concern lay in the steadily rising costs burden, and it was this problem, combined with the refusal of the Minister of Marketing, the Hon. W. Nash, to allow any increase in the prices that aroused the intense resentment of the industry. Because of the increased costs, the position of an increasing number of farmers was becoming more and more difficult. Its major complaint was that last season the Minister arbitrarily altered the standard fixed by an expert committee, which reached unanimous decisions. The industry considered that the Minister had cut the ground from under the feet of the dairy farmer and left him at the mercy of the Minister’s personal decision. The Act was intended as the dairy farmers’ charter of liberty and the farmer said it, was being completely disregarded. If the guaranteed price was to be an equalisation as appeared from the Minister’s action, then he should tell the industry ■so. > Mr. Hale referred to the widespread feeling on the part of the farmers •that the Government was using the war as an excuse for intensifying its campaign of socialisation. The fourth problem was the difficulty of obtaining suitable farm labour. The conference carried a resolution expressing appreciation of the actions of the Dairy Board and the Dairy Industry Council and decided that questions should be framed for presentation to the Minister of Marketing. the Hon. W. Nash, when he met the conference in the afternoon.