DAIRY PRODUCERS’ ASSN.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 53, Issue 32425, 1 May 1944, Page 5

DAIRY PRODUCERS’ ASSN.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—Promoters of the Dairy Producers’ Association have been here to outline their aims and objectives, leaving with us the surety that history repeats itself. Just as forty-odd years ago foundation members of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union to be, toured the country with just the same ideals —to unite the farmer to his benefit —these men now bring the same proposals but to the dairy farmer only.

With a slight change in domestic construction it is hoped the new body will be in a position to put the dairy farmers’ case to our political masters by dairy farmers through the Farmers’ Federation. It is well to remember that the only time that dairy farming was thoroughly and more or less correctly costed, it was done by a Professor of Economics at the instigation I believe, of the Dairy Board. Perhaps this new departure is necessary, but the fact remains that the democratic machinery is already in existence in the shape of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union to do the same thing, that is, to further farmers’ interests. Farmers should consider if it is necessary to torpedo the parent body to get the desired results. The executive of that body came in for some criticism, but when members hurl bricks at a democratically elected executive, they merely hurl bricks at themselves. They do not (believe in democracy and disbelief and distrust of democracy brought about the fall of France. The cash cost of this duplication of effort come out of the farmer’s pocket. In this small country we have many farmers’ organisations, The Dairy Board, Meat Board, Farmers’ Union, Farmers’ Federation, Dairy Industry Council, National Dairy Association, Pig Industry Council, Woolgrowers, Wheatgrowers, 'Potato Growers, Vegetable Growers, Market Gardeners, all dependent on the primary producers for the necessary financial support. Also we have the Internal Marketing Department, Primary Production Council and the Royal Society of New Zealand. Disregarding the latter three, the primary duty of these seems now to be to join in the more or less annual scramble for more money to catch up to that mythical inflation. But that Will-o’-the-Wisp is always one lap ahead. Since the depth of the depression when butterfat prices were about 9d we have had gradual increases in price, due I believe to the fact that the world was rearming with a consequent general rise in price levels, until the latest rise brings, the price to approximately 18d (doubled in about ten years).

The general tone of the speeches of the promoters of the Dairy Producers’ Association indicated that the basic idea is- to obtain more money. These men have not yet learned that higher prices mean increased costs under* the existing money set-up. Still more money is required to set up a further association to attack the effects of a faulty economic system, and with their heads in the sand, ignore the root causes. It should be obvious to all that higher prices in themselves are not a solution to the problem. All militant unionism merely accentuates the trouble, leading to a mad scramble, and even strikes, to obtain more and more from a common money pool which is never large enough.

Members of the Dairy Producers’ Association were solemnly adjured by a Mr Boloney I think his name is (Tauranga) never to allow political philosophies to enter their discussions—like a broody hen with no eggs. The Dairy Producers’ Association in ten years’ time will still be clucking and looking round for the chicks, solutions which are mathematically impossible under the existing money set-up. Responsibility will weigh heavily on any group of self-expres-sed members for the breaking-up of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union which has a membership of something like 39,000 farmers. An edifice moreover, whose prestige has been held high always, with a constitution the doors of which are wide open for members to bring reforms and new ideas from branch to subprovincial to provincial and finally to Dominion conference.

I very much doubt if farmers generally know exactly what they do want to-day. If s‘abilisation, with steady price levels and costs likewise

stable were presented to farmers, most probably they would be quite satisfied. In spite of criticism I am convinced that Capt. Rushwor<h (Auckland Provincial president), was right when he advised farmers to try out the stabilisation idea, even thougn

he may, have known success was unlikely under our present financial system.—l am, etc., , JAS. C. MILLER. R.D., Turua.