MEETING OF FARMERS

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 249, 20 October 1939, Page 4

MEETING OF FARMERS

OPPOSITION A DUTY '".'P* ■ • i : / ■ SINISTER, GOVimVAkENT PLAN • ALLEGED Tlie -oliiel' discussion at the meeting of the snh-proviildal executive of the New'Zealand) Farmers’ Union at Edgecumbe centred on the 'Government’s plan to maintain production, and farmers’ fears that socialisation of their industry was an objective of the Government, that it was using! /tire war as a screen to rush its policy through, and that the pleasures now jntrodilced would prove permanent, and would not be relaxed after tlie war. 1 | The Mr. A. E. Martin, took tliis view when he said the Government appeared to be using the war as a means of socialising everything in New Zealand. When the time came to relax the restriction's the present organisations would be out of existence. Other bodies had protested, such as Mr! Algie’s Freedom League. Mr. C. R. Wilson (Rangitaiki) spoke of' the_ necessity of drawing a distinction between co-operation and socialisation. 1 '? . No Decency

Air. A. E. Lambert said the Government appeared to be devoid of any sense of honour or decency, inasmuch as they were prostituting the- presentnational system to suit their own

ends. They hud been given an assurance of co-operation-, and undoubtedly! farmers would have been prepared to carry tlijft^out-and make considerable sacrifices! to promote the country’s welfare, [but tlie offer of co-oiieratiqn. AVfis interpreted as Avillingness.ti.t-o' acquiesce ih their own des^rifctioii; s ! :j ? ' Any ’".be if it prevented ;.the _ implementing of j the Government's. pJrfiVs,- for > they Avould prevent the country from doing*? its best in the war. r He added worked the hardest to the higher return. 4 "• ■ Jx, Mr. V. S. Moffat- (Tatmuiga), said the' present Government Was''a' profligate one and regarded as such overseas. He wondered Avliether it -would be possible for the farmers’ union to get in touch with- tfie British Government and- endeavour to get payment to the -farmers instead of having it intercepted by the Government.

• - i “Nashism” and Nazism * r We must fight Nashism .-as the men overseas were fighting Nazism, said Mr. R. W. Stnignell (Oindko'roa). The Avar had given the GoA'ernment splendid cover to put into action their pet theories, ■ Avlien anyone raising a voice could be branded as unpatriotic. The Government claimed to be helping the worker, but they 1 thought of the worker as the pick ' and shovel man, the Government Avorkef and the wharf labourer. The farmer was as much a Avorker, but the Government thought him a bloated capitalist. They must fight.

Mr. H. J. Angus ‘ (Taiiranga) said that he .could not see any progress being .made Avithin the present competitive system. seemed to him the only solution! ' Cc nf e rence i? Wiarmad Mr. A. JO. Lambert moved.'and 3NJr. 6.* S. Game secondd^^a*' 1 motion to the effect that the cbiiferenit-e a- ' V - # _ .. ... . ~■ larniedl aiid indignant at the sequence of events! and in pbrticuiar the amendments to the .' Marlidtitt^ 5 -Act; and resented the-■•rfstfb'ctio'iis imposed unnecessarily on t tlie',* freedomvoF tlie people, sand the fact, that','advantage had been, taken, of the AA’orld situation to implement. >a’'political policy for which,"in jjorma 1 'gAireuinstances, tlie people would not stand, and. Avliich avus calculated to ‘strangle any effective effort and endl in national disaster. It requested tlie Auckland executive to press for the call in g of a special Dominion conference to consider the .matter. . v> AMi. Lambert added' that tlie .situation Avas not Avitliout danger. Some of the heads of the union might see the inside of a prison the intolerance and sensitiveness’ to criticism of the Government convinced him that if they thought they could get uAvay Avith it they Avould squash criticism just as Hitler did. (Hear, hear !) Tlvey bail poaver und'er the present Avar regulations to “put the kybosh” on tlie farmers’ union and silence Teritoism. Mr. F. IT Maunder (Rangitaiki) said the British Government had asked for all produce. Apparently they Avere also dealing in the same way Avith the Australian Government and the Australian GoA’crnment could not be called a socialist one. The British Government was treating all alike. More information was needed. For All Time

The chairman, Mr. A. E. Martin, Said tlie 'Government Avas taking eon-trol'-of everything, not only for the duration of the Avar, hut for all time. -As soon as the Government got control they Avoulcll do away Avith the present channels. The negotiations Avith the Brjlish Government should he carried out • through the marketing hoard. He appealed] to tlie Government to he honest Avith the farmers and tell them Avliat tlie price Avas and AA-liat the policy of the Government Avas. Mr. R. Dunning (Rangitaiki) said the fanners at first hoped to produce more, hut when they read the facts they Avere dumfountled. The farmers wanted to he able to produce more and he thought they Avere not so concerned about making money. They were at war andl Avantecl to produce hut they needed Government support. Worse Than U-Bcats

'J'lie policy of the Government would do more harm to England than the IJboats by reducing the export of produce to England said another delegate. There was nothing being done to maintain, production. The Government was taking young men for the army and this must mean a fall in production said another. # -Mr. ll.’ ~W. StiTigneH tGniok-oroa-). said they couldn’t afford to produce at a loss. Costs had risen and they were told to accept the old price and produce more. 'Pile chairman - read a remit carried in -Auckland stating that the satisfactory working of tin*’ production council would depend cn the principle that the price to be paid hv the Government must cover the cost of production, involving the periodical adjustment of the- price to meet variations in cost. * Policy

-Mil*. Dunning said that in England they had a definite poll?.y !.Tiroug| which production was greatly on the increase. That was what they wantefi in New Zealand. I -Mr. -Aloffatt said that immediately t he war was over the fa l iners who had made desperate efforts to increase production might find they had a huge surplus which would lead to low prme.s and. a slump. The Government was out to bankrupt the fanner and take his End. He thought it was a cunning and weked venture of the 'Government. The more New Zealand increased her primary .production to-day the more she would he bankrupt- after the war. Another sneaker disagreed. England must he suppliedl and farmers must do their job and not worry about the chance of a slump. | The chairman said if England, pressed them to produce more she must take care of any after-war surplus. Air. AY. J. Law (Te Puke) said young .men were going off the farms and leaving women and children* and thus driving them hack into the sheds, it was the duty of young men to stay on the farnis and see food production

A\ : as maintained. -f Hon;- -O.- El. McMillan.. (Taiiraiigaji** said that, many points wefb'obscure, and it was impossible to discuss the matter fully in-default of thcfififormartion:; 'This avus due to the fact that members I . of Parliament- had not forced the information out of the (iovoruinent. \ ■(* . Urtdsr Coalition He said that ..under tlie Coalrtioit " govern ment proYlpctioa 1 1 ad;/i licieijsQ&q; by leaps. b^h^sf-'ti ‘England threatened A«i a lo pet* cent, quota on New Zealand produce. Hitosaid Ncav Zealand's final argument, which carried. “Tier case, Avas t-iiat produ.ction->Jiad bed'll built up by loans from England anci if it bad hot been clearly understood that increased production avoulu he .'.purchased at Home, New Zealand Avon Id AT'cLer have gone to the extent of raisitig. the money. 'The Australian producers av child get .their money without any restrictions, hut Mr. McMillan Avas prepared bet that the British GoA r ermne.ht would take out the amount' neeclqgf: at;c’fiomt to meet our * The woul(l» pay; they. alAvavg did. .What the Dominion executive wanted to knoAV Avag whether avc Avould widen the basis ofgrepresentation to the eon,Terence m Wellington. TheyconTcrence should npj; fi.niss that point. ,s>■ ..After the luncheon adjournment . Mr .Id. Thompson (Opotiki), said that the restrictions Avould cut down production. Farmers tvere of tlie opinion that . if restrictions Avere continued they would not carry on iff further?., production. *, When flic war Ava.s over 'they would he in trouhlq’ljeAiuse tho*» stock and station linns Avoufd he out of business. . V" . ' > Useless Executive Mr. H. O. ('J'aneatua) said that the continual harping on profiteers .should! 1)6 remembered. Hq\v could tho farmer he a profiteer? protest Avas necessgry.fi- 'They, watted' some one to go to Wellington,,itnd fight the matter and not take eA-erythin'g that was handed oa-ci*. lie said dhe representatives Avere poor, harmless lelloAvs Avlia just “got it in the neck.’” Mrs. J. A. 'Mcdiarry' ( r Te Puke) Said she thought’ that;, tlie. farmers’ union just hit its headWigaiiYst "a stojre Avail Avhen they Avent to Wellington. Another speaker expressed dissatisfaction with the central executiVe of the union. The Rca*. Wh a ret ini Rangi TRuatoki). said-that tlie 31aori section of the Fanners’ Fnion Avas hemiid tlie union in all isj3 dealings, especially at present. He thought that tlie sah'ation of the farming industry in Ncav Zealand lay in their own hands. The Maori side of the union was behind every suggestion made that day. Union’s Work Another speaker said that the union , did a good deal of useful Avork, spell as their influence in the direction of the increase of the guaranteed price last year. . .« ' Mr. Lambert said thru at the outbreak of war there Avas a tendency to deprecate criticism of the Government and a tendency to end criticism, but wTTbn tilings Avert*'- dout*d-n~-P*i*fH-v+rtent ■ such as had been done recently criticism was a duty. The resolution was carried unanimous! v.