WELLINGTON NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 28 July 1924, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES

FARMBBSJX CONFERENCE

(Special to “Guardian”.)

WELLINGTON, July 23

The people of Wellington are used to conferences, for they are held here every year, many of them, and that good they do is not apparent. Several conlercncc's have already been held here this year, and this week we have the farmers in conference. The farmers generally get a good hearing from the newspapers, and broadly speaking they talk a lot of good sound sense until they get oil to economic .•uihjecls, when some weird statements are made and soui.' outlandish principles are enunciated. One of the first proposals submitted to the conference was the formation of a Wool Control Board; hut this was turned down after a siloft diseu.ision. In moving the remit, the proposer stated that wool control was no new tiling. All that was desired was that wool should he placed under control, and on the same footing- as meat and dairy produce, for he contended that 1 hey could iiot control ireights until they controlled the produce that forms the freight. This argument is very plausible, 11s one business man observed. Supposing that a Wool Control Board were established, how would iL he able to control freights;-' The Meat Board Inis (to! been ithh- !u .'outre! Heights or even to regulate .shipments. What the Hoard <lt.es, and all that it. can do is to negotiate with the shipowners, and the freight is fixed hy mutual consent. Ii supposing the Meat Board decided that a iT.ight quotation offered hy the sliipcwuers was not acceptable and the shipowners were equally determined not In accept less what would happen? Would 1 lie M.-'iit Board prevent the Companies shipping al the rale of freight fixed h.v the shipowners, and if so Imov long would ii he able to hul l

nut Tiie mere indication id sued a c--. 111 <Tit-t .would throw the meal indii'liy out oI order. It is obvious that l.u ■ mors nl tacli undue importance ‘.ll ike word "control."

CONTROL OF WOOL OFFERING. What is needed anil what has been in upcrelinu during the past two or throe seasons is the coni ml o' the

quantities nllered al the several sales hell in New Zealand. This was Die work of li" Wool Committee. To Australia tlie Wool Council dnes the regulating, and in Loudon the \\ iiotb.'eacr,’ Asoeiaiion or rather a Commit'cc does the work. There is this diffetVPeO between tlie New Zealand Won. Committee and tlie organisations in Australia and I.otnh:n. tor while the hitter are \ohint trv affairs, the New Zeal.mil Wool ('nininiltee derives its potters under the regulations made .11 a '('ordain e with tiie Board of Trade Act. Wool brokers are compelled bv law to abide by the decisions o! ,l.e Won'. (‘eiumiltee. and ii is maintained that with,out compulsion the work .1 the Commiil:.' wool.l be worthies- . I here i, li-king the spirit of eo- i./eratl ,11

and therefore to secure -ii-opcratier. there must he compulsion. This )s a great pity for a little more cohesion on the part of the different section.'. <i| the commercial roinmitnUy would lie helpful in many ways. Ti.e Wool Committee was originally set tip to work in with B.A.W.R.A. and now that ibis Association has coinplci "i its

functions it i- a question who* he. - the Wool Committee Inis any legal standing. it would be foolish ot the trade not to have tlie Wool Commit Uv set up li.r the ensuing season, lor it is imperative that the offerings at the local sal"' should be regulated, otherwise 1 here will be a lit-h m market ill" bulk of the wool at : h-■ Janmi!" sales to the detriment of Dm grow. is. Wool producers and wool bro ters must remember that there is third pasty in the business and that is the wool buyers, and the wool onvo- have an I'ss.hial mil and will expect to be t ,-n-----j,|. 1 . 1. Tbo bu-.'i- are loy I' val I" 1 heir a.-.-'..** in' ion and wo;d,l re-cni a:tv slight. FARM KIN AND I’D'.'i Ii >. The President Mr W. IVI-o- i! Ihe Faim.r-’ I’nion •-r.'-t t 1 .sU'.lcw hat of a sells:'.ion at Dm upon. ; of tiie ('< old It'll'e v. hail in Dm e.iucse (I lis address he said. "I am e.mci.n " I Dvt thru* tan lx* iui k" I***sl l 1,1 01,1 organisation until we take a unoe active inlel'esl in p;i!itie:d all ills, dlls! now with the prospect 111 a eoitti aoa It*. o nl a 1 1 :al'gldar coOH'id, wo have little hope oi achieving our p-ogra'ion.' as we are at present -iiuated [ declare niv opinion here, that piii'ti.'al action is as iii'ccs-ary to the New Zealand larmar a- to any other. What form that action is in take is lor you In say. bur I am hound to inform you here, Dial none ot the plans we have adopted in Die past have been of Die : lightest 11.- '." Whether we are to have e Country I'arty as they have in the ('i nioiiwcall h ivniain , til lie seen I,Hi it i' oh\ unis Dial wiih tour puliti<al |i 11 ties wooing the electors the T.abe.ur I’arty will win because it understand.' cn-opera.uon and is solid and erii'i-lent. ( iiminentiug on .Mr !’«>!- sons I'i'inii rks the "Evening l’n-l 'says: "ll 1 here is any pro-pcei nl political com usinii. the Farmer:.' I iiion would eeltainly add to il lie bringing 11 new and disintegrating political force into tlie ;;..|d. Mr Poison speaks ui imitating producers elsewhere and forming a separate parly; but wherever this has been dona Die ultimate result has been not to benefit the farming section, hut to injure the whole (■(immunity hy disturbing poliliia! balance.”