FARMERS’ RALLY

Hokitika Guardian, 18 December 1930, Page 1

FARMERS’ RALLY

f By Telegraph, Per Press Association. HAWERA, December 17. A rally of 1000 farmers, representatives of the Taranaki and Wanganui Provinces Farmers’ Union, assembled to-day for the first of a series of meetings being held by the Union, with the objective of reaching an agreement on policy in relation to the interests of the primary producers. Welcomes were voiced by the Mayor and President of the Chamber of Commerce.

.ne first speaker of the convention Mr W. -J. Poison Dominion President, gave an address lasting an hour and a half. The first plank, he said must he equal opportunity for primary producers, with other sections of the community, and readjustment of the incidents of customs and taxation. The second plank was the removal of restrictions on industry through the Arbitration Court with compulsory Conciliation and optional arbitration. The third was the reduction of costs of government by elimination of unnecessary departments, a reduction in railway costs, by the curtailment off expenditure on non paying lines, the reduction of overhead expenses and management by a hoard free of political influence. Other planks were provision r for agricultural finance at moderate interest, through the establishment of an agricultural bank and the extension of intermediate credit system, disrating of farm lands, abolition of land tax, amendment of Unemployment Board’s 14s per flay policy.

...r Poison expressed an optimistic view concerning the development in the dairy industry, hut could not ho as hopeful regarding meat and wool.