PUBLIC RELATIONS

Lake County Mail, Issue 18, 24 September 1947, Page 2

PUBLIC RELATIONS

The Dominion Council of Federated Farmers last week unanimously passed an Auckland remit that the leaders of the federation and trades unions should meet in conference in an endeavour to create a better understanding bebetween primary producers and industrial workers.

That has already been done in some cases, particularly in North Taranaki where a combined committee of the Waitara Freezing Workers’ Union and Federated Farmers has been discussing mutual problems for some months. Meetings have also been held with representatives of the New Zealand Watersider Workers’ Union on two occasions and the Auckland executive has met the local Trades and Labour Council. Under the terms of the new resolution, however, this work will be expanded. Although details have not yet been considered the execution of the motion will probably fall to f the Action Committee which will shortly be expanding the public relations side of its activities and which has already made tentative moves for meetings with freezing workers’ unions. The new Action Committee elected at the council meeting, now consists of Messrs R. G. Buekleton (Wellington), James Andrew (Wairarapa), W. J. Thomas (Wairarapa), H, J. McLeavey (Manawatu), J. Scott Davidson (Auckland), and Stuart Sim (Otago). Mr Buekleton was elected chairman. New Zealand Meat in Britain Present action on the part s of the Meat Producers’ Board to prevent New Zealand meat losing its identity in Great Britain under present methods of bulk distribution, received the - support of the Dominion Council last week. While rationing was in force, explained Mr W. N. Perry, Dominion president,

butchers and consumers had to take what meat was offered them but that did not prevent the proper indentification of New Zealand meat. New Zealand meat was eagerly looked for in Britain and if the name was lost that goodwill would have to be rebuilt when bulk distribution ended. Margarine was a menace to butter on the United Kingdom market, said Mr W. N. Perry, Dominion president, on his return from overseas recently. Unless the price of butter was kept within a reasonable limit to that of margarine, the latter would eventually secure the greater part of the market. At present butter sold in Britain at the subsidised price of Is 6d per lb and margarine sold at 9d and 5d per lb, depending on grade. If those consumer subsidies were removed, butter would rise to 2s 3|d per lb and margarinc only, to Is Margarine quality was excellent and its production was mainly controlled by one of Britain’s largest companies with thousands of retail shops receiving fresh supplies daily. Mr Perry said he was afraid that New Zealand was building up such a high internal cost structure that she would not be able t,o compete with margarine when conditions again became normal. Present shortages and subsidies protected butter but once they were removed, consumption of butter would certainly decrease if the price remained high. European Position He had left Europe feeling that too much emphasis was being laid on loans and not enough on production, said Mr W. W. Mulholland, past Dominion president, when speaking to the Dominion Council last week. The prevailing tendency of European countries to look for assistance by way of loans was encouraging them to forget the more important task of getting on with the job. The food position in Britain had deteriorated severely in the last year and had had a damaging effect on the morale of the people. The truculence of the miners, the many unofficial strikes and the refusal to accept the instructions of their unions were largely the result of insufficient energy-pro-ducing foods. In his opinion a good deal of the decline in morale dated from the introduction of bread rationing and every subsequent restriction had added damage.