FAIR DEAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 May 1943, Page 4

FAIR DEAL

UNDER STABILISATION POLICY SOUGHT BY FARMERS DEMAND FOR REPRESENTATION ON COMMISSION. OBSERVATIONS BY PROVINCIAL PRESIDENT. A motion that the constitution of the Stabilisation Commission should be altered to provide for a greater representation of farming interests was carried at this afternoon’s meeting of the Wairarapa Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union. Mr L. T. Daniell read to the meeting a list of members of the commission and said that when the old stabilisation committee was changed to a commission the rural areas were not consulted. There was room for more farmers on the commission. Mr W. J. lorns described a member of the commission, Mr William Marshall, as one of the biggest Socialists in Wellington and said Mr Marshall had admitted- to him that he had fixed the price for pigs at what Mi’ Marshall called a good price. “I believe in stabilisation, but only when it is applied equally to all sections of the community,” observed Mr Hugh Morrison, Provincial President, at an earlier stage of the meeting. Mr Morrison said dairy farmers were contending against high costs and a shortage of labour. There was also to be taken into consideration the fact of a considerable reduction in gross income because of the deficiency in New Zealand of phosphates. The deficiency in phosphates would mean a serious fall in production. Costs and prices for the rest of/ the community were stabilised on those of December, 1942, while farmers, who worked seven days a week, wet and fine, were stabilised on 1938 prices. The 1938 prices were based on the assumption that a farmer, could lyvc on less than £4 10s per week, rent free.