JUSTICE FOR FARMERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 April 1938, Page 8

JUSTICE FOR FARMERS

UNITED ORGANISATION ESSENTIAL MR H. MORRISON’S SURVEY. NEED OF ECONOMIC BALANCE. “It is my firm opinion that under the conditions of today, where every section, labourers, manufacturers, importers and professional men, have independent organisations to protect their individual interests, the farmers must support their own organisation, and that we should not be in separate units of sheep, dairy fruit, etc., but be one combined organisation of farmers,” said the Wairarapa Provincial President of the Farmers’ Union (Mr Hugh Morrison) in a statement forwarded to the Masterton branch of that organisation yesterday. “Seeing that we hold the basic industry of the country, and that if we fail the whole national fabric would collapse,” Mr. Morrison continued, “there is no alternative for us but to combine as a unit outside of party politics, which I have repeatedly spoken against, so that we can demand justice for our industry from any Government whatever, which is in power. “For instance we are entitled to be heard in the matter of uneconomic tariffs, to which we would be the largest contributors, maintenance of the exchange rate, derating of farm land, particularly the abolition of the Hospital Board levy, high and increasing costs, on falling markets for many of our primary products, uneconomic taxation, and all matters from time to time which vitally affect the interests of the primary producers, particularly when such matters come up at short notice. “It is essential that an even balance be maintained between primary and secondary industries. If that is not done, the cost of living will increase and men will be put out of work. A reasonable protection of industries is necessary, but I think that too high a protection in this country might be one day have the effect of losing for us that market which brought us £66,000,000 in 1937.”