FARMERS' PRODUCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 June 1919, Page 5

FARMERS' PRODUCE.

HON; MR. MACDONALD REPLIES CRITICISM; By Telegraph.—Press Association. Invcrcargill, Last Night. At a luncheon at Kivcrton, the Hon. W. J. S. Mac Donald, Minister for Agriculture, replying to criticisms of the Government's commandeer, said that if fanners at the beginning of the war had been offered the ruling price for all produce they would have accepted eagerly. Now they were getting 100 per cent, more, and, as ho way a fanner and the price meant a good return for him, he thought the fanners generally could not be badly oil'. It had been said that the shipping shortago was merely a bogey, but meat and produce in store was the property of the Imperial Government, and if there was plenty of shipping why did not the Imperial Government, in its own interests, move it? Some critics taid the Meat Trust and combines really owned the meat and in the same breath accused the Meat Trust ot keeping shipping away from New Zealand instead of getting the meat on tha market. He said farmers in future could not expect prices in New Zealand to be governed by Home • prices. The Imperial Government paid seventy millions to keep down the price of bread, and the farmers of New Zealand could not expect to get the famine pricey ruling there. It was to be hoped that men of strong character would be returned at the coming elections. There was a Bolshevik element among the farmers and Labor, but ninety per cent, of both sectiony were loyal and were prepared to withstand the efforts at disruption.