PRIMARY PRODUCTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 September 1940, Page 6

PRIMARY PRODUCTION

MEETING OF WAIRARAPA COUNCIL PROTEST AGAINST NATIONAL BODY'S ATTITUDE. “POSITION UNSATISFACTORY." In the absence of the chairman (Mr A. McDonald). Mr R. W. Kebbell presided over a meeting this morning of the Wairarapa district council of the National Council of Primary Production. There was a good attendance of members. Apologies for absence were received from Mr J. Robertson. M.P., Mr Ben Roberts, M.P.. Mr A. McDonald an.d Mr James Andrew. The National Council wrote stating that remits had been received from district councils which did not come within the province of war measures and asked that the fact be kept in mind in future. The council, the letter stated, did not intend considering such remits.

“It is very unsatisfactory for us to be here in this position this morning,” stated Mr L. T. Daniell. “We are completely in the dark.” “I think we should protest against the National Council’s attitude,” said Mr Kebbell. “We should write to the council and ask for a definite reply in the matter of hill country top-dres-sing."

It was decided to write to the council submitting a scheme to be outlinedby Mr Kebbell. to have gangs of subsidised labour working with tractors to handle fertiliser in bulk for hill country. “That this council notes with astonishment that no reply has been received from the National Council in the matter of the exportation of white clover seed contained in a letter dated September 7. The matter is considered urgent and important and an immediate reply is requested” was the text of a motion which was passed for consideration by the National Council. Advice was received from. Mr G. M. Tolhurst. Wellington, urging support of a petition to be forwarded to Mr Semple asking that the licensing of farm tractors be relaxed. “It is altogether wrong that the Minister be asked to allow tractors out on the road without an insurance cover.” stated Mr Kebbell. “The licence of 12s a year is made up by 10s for insurance cover and 2s for the plates.” It was decided that the letter be received and no action taken. In view of the fact that the ploughing season was almost over it was decided that Mr Brewerton be thanked for his investigations,' and the figures he had obtained from reliable sources, and that no action be taken in the matter of contractors' charges as it was a case for action by the individual farmer. . “The contractors’ charges are not excessive and a statement to that effect in the Press should be refuted.” stated Mr G. Brewerton in outlining the steps he had taken to fully investigate the position. “For the first time I have found out that the Wairarapa is all hill country,” said Mr H. Evans in protesting against contractors charges. He considered the rate was. excessive.

As the reply by the Minister of National Service in the matter of the Labour Department not permitting a contractor to execute an urgent plough repair job without the payment of overtime rates was not considered satisfactory it was decided to again communicate with him in the matter. “The Minister is giving his power to a union secretary, which is not desirable in a country at war,” observed Mr L. T. Daniell. In connection with the utilisation of offers of land it was decided that local committees be empowered to deal with the matter. Mr L. T. Daniell moved that after the term and other examinations had been completed secondary school boys’ labour be utilised, with the co-opera-tion of the Placement Service. The Employment Division of the Labour Department advised that the subsidy on wages for all inexperienced men of 20 years of age and over had been increased by 7s 6d for house allowances. The house allowance was payable only to married men. Territorial Training Camps. The secretary of the local ManPower Committee wrote advising that many applications had been received from farmers for exemption from Territorial training camps, and asking for the council’s opinion. Mr Daniell paid tribute to Mr Hanaghan’s work as secretary. He pointed out that farming was an essential work. Drafts were going quietly away and the position would be fully felt later on. He considered there should be more district camps. “The whole trouble is that farm production does not go hand in hand with military training,” said Mr Kebbell. The following motion was passed: “That while the district council realised that Territorial military training was essential the time set down for the camps was such as would interfere with primary production, as it was the' busiest time of the year. It was also suggested that alternate dates for camps be allocated and that district camps be instituted for preliminary training.” In reply to a letter received from the National Council it was stated that there were plenty of threshing mills in the district to handle the comingharvest. Labour for Shearing. The matter of investigating the prospects of labour for shearing and harvesting was loft in the hands of the sub-committee concerned. It was decided to recommend to farmers that shearing operations be held as early as possible to relieve a possible congestion later on.