FARMERS’ UNION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 May 1939, Page 6

FARMERS’ UNION

WAIRARAPA PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT REVIEWS YEAR’S ACTIVITIES. ANNUAL MEETING TODAY. The president, Mr Hugh Morrison, occupied the chair at the annual meeting of the Wairarapa Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union, held today. Others present were: Messrs H. Bennett, C. T. Ricardson, J. M. James, W. James, A. B. Martin, J. L. Heckler, J. G. Wingate, A. Forsberg. I. Speedy. R. E. Chamberlain, R. W. Kebbell, G ,R. Thompson, A. Ross, E. Rose, C. C. Jackson, N. Peacock, A. Campbell, D. McPherson, T. Anderson, J. H. Bremner, E. S. Heckler, J. P. Peterson, R. L. Field, L. T. Daniell, W. Thomas.

In his annual report, the Provincial Secretary, Mi' James Watson, said that 52 meetings connected with the Union were held during the year. The financial membership now stood at 1140. A strong Rabbit Association was formed in the Tinui district, serving 40 members, with one permanent and one temporary rabbiter. Three meetings were held by the Transport Licensing Authority, Carriers' Associations, and your committee, resulting in an agreement, which was more than less thrust upon your delegates. Local transport routes, rural telephone rentals, and the appointment of a rabbit and noxious weeds inspector were the objects of three deputations. In the matter of local transport and the appointment of an inspector we were successful, but in the matter of increased rural telephone charges we had no success whatever. Drovers’ agreement: As this agreement is now dealt with in a North Island, or Dominion basis, the only result of our negotiations was a local trucking agreement practically equivalent to that of last year. REPORT OF PRESIDENT

- “Few people today, apart from those t directly interested in the dairy in- - dustry, realise that the unprecedentf ed drought conditions of this season - have affected the dairy farmer to the 1 extent of a reduction in export of 13.25 !■’ per cent in butter, and 31.3 per cent ) in cheese as’compared with last year,” ) stated Mr Morrison in his annual rez port. “These percentages,”, he added, i “Convey little until the corresponding r money figures are revealed, , which amount to a drop in 1 revenue of £1.600,000 to March -31 only. Even these figures do - not convey the ultimate total loss, be--3 cause apart from the direct return ; from butterfat, the corresponding byproducts have suffered accordingly, as t the production and export of pig flesh i is dependent entirely upon butterfat . production, therefore at least the same proportionate reduction must apply to ; pig flesh. In this province, a particuj lar problem has arisen regarding win- » ter feed. Where as in the past the i dairy farmer has relied upon the sheep-farmer to supply him with win- > ter grazing, unfortunately, this year . the sheep-farmer is in the same pre- > carious position for winter fodder as i the dairy farmer. SHORTAGE OF SPACE. [ “Local freezing works are at the . moment killing and storing both dairy and station cattle at the rate of 300 per ; day, 1800 per week, and their killing ' space is booked up for weeks ahead. 1 rne dairy farmers additional loss will, therefore, be the purchasing of any kind of supplementary fodder for the ’ winter, at a price which will absorb ! the major profit accruing from last year’s results. From the general market conditions, as far as onfi can ascertain from the leaders in this industry, it seems unlikely that any restriction will be placed upon the export of butter and cheese, which is an extremely gratifying point. SHEEP FARMING PROBLEMS. “We are grateful to the Prime Minister for agreeing to our request for a Royal Commission to investigate the serious position of the sheep-farmer in the Dominion, on much the same lines as operated on behalf of the dairyfarmers a few years ago. The sheepfarming industry is the greatest in New Zealand. Although I have not the 1938-39 figures, in 1937-38 the total amounted to £47 millions, and the dairy industry accounted for £33 mil- • lions. The sheep industry is in two classes—the fat lamb producer in first class country, producing 9,000,000 lambs for export, and another 1,000,000 for local consumption, and the second and third class country producing the major wool output and providing the ewes for the lat famb producer plus the wether mutton. FACIAL ECZEMA. “The first type during the past two years has had to face considerable losses by way of facial exzema to the tune of approximately £ 1,000,000. while this year, owing to the high price for purchase of ewes, he faced a huge loss at the end of season, in sale of both breeding and fat ewes equivalent to 50 per cent. In addition, the toll of the drought has affected, him to an extent not yet fully realised. Provided, however, that the ewe purchased comes back to an economic price, which is inevitable owing to the restriction of export and the low price of ewe mutton, the fat lamb producer should be able to recover himself and eventually be able to carry on again. ’Although the fat lamb has dropped a penny per pound this year the outlook is for existing prices to be maintained. The prospects for the hill farmer on second and third class country depend mainly upon wool, breeding ewes for the fat lamb trade, and ' wethers, and while wool is at present ' commanding the pre-war price of 9d 1 per lb, the cost of production is 150 ' per cent above pre-war costs, and to- I day is not meeting those costs. The ' bulk of New Zealand wool is cross- i bred, and is meeting with a ready sale for army purposes, but when the pos- i sible war demand is ended it will meet i serious competition from synthetic wool fibres. In six years from 1932- ’ 37 inclusive the production of arti- I ficial wool fibres has expanded 31 i times, or, in other words is equal to 1 the wool production of the whole of I Australia. Although there will always < be a demand for crossbred wool it looks as though low prices will be ‘ permanent. 1 LOW EWE PRICES. j “The problem of the ewe to be sold to the fat lamb producer is enhanced by the fact that there will be 3,400.000under export restriction for which no real market will be available, and it . would seem that the low export price for this article would be permanent. The wether also is subject to a drop 1 in export price from 26s to 15s today, i

and according to Drs Hammond and Fraser, both eminent practical men, this also appears to be a permanent price drop as mutton has a restricted sale outlook in Great Britain. A large section of this class of producer is facing the problem of deterioration and erosion of their land, and it is particularly in this direction that the investigations of fhe Royal Commission must be directed. INCREASED COSTS. ‘Probably the most important point of all is the question of costs which are to be further increased by the new increases in interest rates, social security, shipping freights, the latter probably due to the restrictions imposed upon imports.” •ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year: President. Mr Hugh Morrison; vice-presidents, Messrs D. McGregor, J. P. Peterson. C. C. Jackson, J. H. Bremner, A. B. Martin; treasurer, Mr J. M. James; auditor, J. B. Keith and Co.; delegates to Dominion Conference. Messrs H. Morrison and L. L. Daniell; finance committee, Messrs Morrison, J. M. James, H. Bennett, W. J. Thomas, C. T. Richard; son, D. McGregor, L. T. Daniell. “We have now got to the stage when we cannot do without, him,” remarked Mr Martin when nominating Mr Morrison for re-election as president. Other members paid glowing tributes to the worth of Mr Morrison, who was elected unanimously. In returning thanks, Mr Morrison said: “It is more essential today than ever before for all farmers to be organised in one camp. It is the duty of all farmers to join the union.”