STRONG SUPPORT

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20276, 19 August 1937, Page 10

STRONG SUPPORT

i COMPENSATING PRICES. DAIRY SUPPLIERS’ DECISION. LEVY ON BUTTER AND CHEESE. a "If you decide not to support the compensating price campaign, then you . may resign yourselves to a system of Y economic nationalism in its most d vicious form,” said. Mr J. H. Furniss, e when inaugurating a discussion in the r campaign at tiie conference of comf mittee conveners of tho New Zealand ? Co-operative Dairy Company, in Ilam- - ilton yesterday afternoon. Tiie South Island was now definitely ’• organised behind the scheme, he said, d and a minimum of £ISOO to support d the campaign had been guaranteed, r The eyes of the dairying world were, d however, upon file big company and - upon the decision made would depend - whether the farmer was to secure justice or not. R The compensated price campaign, 'i said Mr Furniss, aimed at securing for ihe farmer a price for his produce en- % ’ abling him to pay competitive rates of 11 wages, to secure a reasonable return t upon the capital he had invested in his farm, to meet increased costs, and to allow himself a rate, of remuneration commensurate with that of other memhers of fhe community rendering simn ilar service. 11 After a lengthy discussion, the fol--3 lowing remit was carried enthusiastics ally by a substantial majority:— v As we consider the only way in which farmers can be secured against c rising costs and assured of an 11 equitable return for their services ’ s is by payment of a compensating price for their produce, and as the success of the campaign for this reform is dependent on the funds e available for it, we urge our directors to subscribe to the fund to the ex- [’• tent of an amount equal to 6d per ton “ on the butter and 3d per ton on the ’ r cheese manufactured by the Come pany. Opposition Expressed, n ‘‘l am absolutely opposed to this .s company contributing anything at all to the fund for 1 lie compensating price campaign,” commented a delegate, who stated that the company should not n bear tiie brunt of tiie cost of the S campaign. ■- "The compensating price scheme <f appears to bo tiie creation of a vicious L circle similar to that portrayed by tlie y Arbitration Court where workers after n obtaining an increase in wages have d to return to demand more because of o increased costs,” said another speaker. "Taxation at present is as high as we o can stand yet the organisers of this b campaign arc actually asking for e further taxation. I*f Mr Furniss and his fellow organisers had endeavoured 2 to make co-operative concerns more L truly co-operative by basing wages on the prices obtainable for the products - sold, they would have achieved sometiling for the industry,” he concluded. 11c would rattier see a levy of 5s on a each ton of butter than a levy of 6d as suggested by tiie remit, staled Mr J. - A. Magill. •I Mr E. Lye, in paying tribute to the o work done by Mr Furniss and his cols leagues, said that it was right that, the S compensating price committee should e be compensated for Hie work it had - done but he was not. in favour of suppliers being committed, in the absence ’> of tiie great bulk of tlieir number, to - a levy on tlieir produce, though he was 11 in favour of a grant being made. It n would establish a dangerous precedent if Hie campaign committee were to M secure support by way of levy on prob' diice and he felt that lie had no author--11 Hy lo commit, tiie suppliers he repreri sented to such a form of contribution. Growth of Campaign. c "The campaign has now spread from t Iho Waikato throughout the length and •• breadth of the Dominion,” said Mr F. C. Roberts. "To educate the rank and o file of the farmers and tiie business _ men it is necessary to have finance, y and that is also necessary to further ij the campaign for which tlie organisation is now complete, r It had been suggested that fhe New •, Zealand Dairy -Company should wait s to ascertain what action oilier comf panics were taking,” continued Mr s Roberts, lml. many of ihe smaller companies were wailing for a lead from il tiie big companies. 1 Twenty companies had already sent s money forward for Ihe furtherance of i the campaign, while, nine oilier companies bad passed resolutions favours ing Hie giving of financial support to the campaign, added tho speaker. Some c-'inpanies bad expressed the desire io work a levy of ts per ton of butter in ii order to support the campaign. "We will have a tremendous lever I willi which lo further the campaign for the compensating price if Ibis eon--1 feronce will only give a lead in Ibe e matter," concluded Mr Roberts.

"Paid Agitators Not Needed." “ It is quite unnecessary to have f paid agitators to push this question,” I said one speaker, " The company has its own hoard of directors and beyond n the company, if tiie board is not capi able of securing tho necessary liear--1 With all respect io Mr Furniss and s bis colleagues, they counted for noth--7 ing in themselves except as represeny laiives of the industry, and the meetI. ing bad no rigid, lie continued, to como mil shareholders to a levy on tlieir ! produce. Only by a referendum could j. Midi a matter correctly be decided. ii • \Yc are all agreed that costs have a gone up,” said Mr W. H. Allen, "but - the real trouble is that the farmer has never been prepared lo find money to r> fight for bis own rights. I Replying. Mr Furniss said that he ' considered that the meeting should give a definite indication of its attitude in e die matter. 11 was quite true that tie. himself and Ids colleagues counted for nothing apart from tho support of the industry. That was why lie was appealing for support. What was required was organised public opinion, a strong fighting fotvo. non-political, U, in*lieved that ihe economic future | ~f the country for several gener dions NNoiild turn upon the decision reached. i mreUre. 'll "as iMiTir.l'by 1 a sulislan - lial 1,,a.[..-re