STABILISED PRICE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 March 1943, Page 2

STABILISED PRICE

MARKET FOR PORKER PIGS FARMERS’ UNION PROTEST. REGULATIONS DESCRIBED AS UNFAIR. A strong protest against the price fixed for porkers under the Stabilisation Regulations was voiced at yesterday afternoon’s meeting in Masterton of the Wairarapa Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union. The position was stated by several speakers to be unfair and unreasonable. A resolution was passed unanimously that the matter be referred to Dominion Headquarters. Mr. A. Reid (Carterton) said that under the regulations just announced the price for porkers was fixed at 6jd per lb. Provision was made for someone to attend the stock sales and their job was to see that porkers were not sold on a higher basis than the price fixed by the regulations. Mr. Hugh Morrison: “It is altogether . ridiculous.” Mr. E. R. Rose, in supporting Mr. > Reid’s remarks said it Was tantamount to “murdering the pig industry.” The Australian producer was getting a higher price than the producer here, yet Australian barley was imported to feed pigs here. Mr. J. H. Bremner said the Government’s action was manifestly unfair. • The pig producer should get a legitimate profit. Mr. R. E. Chamberlain: “The worst

feature is that it is interfering with free auctioneering.” Mr. E. T. Bliss stressed the fact that there was a strong local demand for porker pigs. Buyers were operating to supply camps at a profit. He thought, however, that it was because the freezing works “kicked” that the regulations had been'brought in. It was,through them that the Government had stabilised the price and cut out competition. “The thing is ridiculous,” said Mr. R. W. Beu when it was pointed out to the meeting that porkers could not now be sold on the hoof on the farms. Mr. J. L. Heckler said that the Carterton sales were specially good because of the competition between buyers from camps. As he understood it, the regulations were explained at the last Feilding sale and would be explained at the next Carterton sale. The regulations meant that where a porker feched £5 10s by auction in the past, it could not fetch more than £3 10s now. Mr. A. Campbell (Eketahuna) observed that there was a considerable demand for pork on account of the visiting service men. In Australia, producers could not cope with the demand for pork. Mr. Campbell said that) when the producers could not supply the demand pork must be imported, with a likelihood of swine fever and foot and mouth disease breaking out. The producer had to get a fair deal and imported pork had to be altogether kept off the market. Mr. Bliss said that three weeks ago a manager of a Government place went to the Carterton sale and for overweight porkers, weighing 165 to 170 lb. he had realised £5 12s on account of the competition. Under the Government schedule he would have got £3 5s for them.