PUBLIC OPINION

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20281, 25 August 1937, Page 9

PUBLIC OPINION

As ex tressed by correspondents, whose letters are welcome, but for whose views we have no responsibility. Correspondents are requested to write In ink. It Is essential that anonymous writers enclose their proper names as a guarantee of good faith. Unless this rule is complied with, their letters will not appear.

BTILL IN DEMAND.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —I notice my old flrend Mr George Hunter asking why the National Government had men on publio works using picks, shovels and wheelbarrows instead of machinery. We have been told by our present Minister of Public Works that the wheelbarrow age Is past. If so, how Is It that a Waikato County Council that recently sent an order for wheelbarrows to Auckland was told that It was impossible to fulfil the order, as the Government had bought up every wheelbarrow In the place?—l am, etc., A. WARBURTON. Ngaruawahia, August 23.

NATIONAL PARTY.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —"Somewhat Surprised" appears to be concerned that the National Party has arranged for addresses to be given by Mr O'. C. 'Mazengarb in the various districts, and says they should realise that their political activities are of no Interest to the people of this district. It would be just as well If “Somewhat Surprised" spoke for himself. The various addresses delivered by the speaker for that party have been well attended and were of great Interest to Intelligent people who have the welfare of their country at hearty He says the Government have an overwhelming majority in the country, and enjoy the confidence of the public, as was well demonstrated at the recent reception to Mr Savage and Mr Nash. Perhaps he would be more than "Somewhat Surprised" to know that 90 per cent, of the farmers are against the Government to-day. The have lost confidence In the Labour Party, through the treatment received. Costs are going up daily. We are the highest taxed country In the world. There has been more labour trouble In the way of strikes and stop-work meetings during the two years the Government have been in power than in the previous five years. Owing to high prices received from overseas for our produce we are passing through the most prosperous period that this country has known for many years, and one would have expected unemployment to have vanished. The last returns show the numbers are Increasing. We have over 22,000 on sustenance —truly a sad state of affairs and no credit to the party In power. With reference to the hearty welcome accorded Mr Savage and Mr Nash: They certainly received a warm welcome. Mr Nash ha* been travelling overseas with a large staff for nine months, at the expense of the taxpayers of this country, and what has he achieved? Australia has had freights reduced, whilst ours have been Increased; we are threatened with a possible levy on our butter, and we have not been granted any concessions. Evidently the ball went flat on the voyage over and failed to bounce In Britain. It will be Interesting to hear what Mr Mazengarb has to say on the position.—l am, etc., FARMER. NgahJnapouri, August 24.

THE DIFFERENCE.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —During a brief absence from town I heard that “Pro Patria" had returned to the fray with a whole lot of charges. One was that the previous Government had reduced old-age pensions. Does he mean money pensions or real pensions, in the same way as we talk of money wages and real wages? If the pensions were reduced in amount, but the purchasing power of the smaller amount remained fairly constant, then what harm was done? 1 know pensioners who now have the higher pension about which Labour talks so much, but they cannot. buy with it what they previously bought!’ Really they are now worse off. The machinery of the Arbitration Court was not destroyed. It functioned all the time, but a greater measure of elasticity was given, and is still wanted. Better that than these frequent strikes against the awards of the Court. What does "Pro Patria" make of them? Then he says wages were slashed Again, money or real? If one’s income is reduced —and do not forget that the returns for our exports fell by almost exactly £20.000,000 in two years—how can high wages be paid? Buskin, the man who influenced Labour opinion more than any other British writer, said it was nonsense for I lie engineer of a boat, t o expect a big wage if it was not earning enough to pay for the grease required by Ihe engine. Factory production fell, in some instances, by two-thirds In two years, taking I lie five predepression years as I lie basis of comparison. Ami it would be useless for ’Pro Pairin'* to say that we could have avoided It. Let him read what the Hon. I). Cm. Sullivan said when trying to excuse the ris-' in the cost of living. He blamed influences outside the range of I lie Government lo control. And so were the decreases in prices for produels during I lie de - pression. If America, where Hie industrialists promised Ihe President they would not reduce wages, found il absolutely impossible lo keep the promise—and tlicv export only 10 per cent. *»r the total production—how could a country like New Zealand, exporting the bulk of its primary products. be able to do it? Let us bo reasonable in liie.se discussions. As for Ihe claim that the present Government has brought stability and security for the farmers, it is clear Ihnt "Pro Patria’’ knows little if anything about, the position. The local Placement, Officer could place over 150 men on farms it’ he could get, them. The men, however, prefer Cm sustenance payment, and the farmers’ wives again go into the sheds. The men on the land simply cannot gd labour, but the number of men drawi ins sustenance without work increases I niontliIx. Wluit does "Pro Patria" make of Ihnt ? Is il Hie road to prosI perily?—i an., etc.. I’BU BUNG. I Hamilton, August 23.

THE VOLUNTEERS.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —I should like to make a suggestion that might assist the recruiting of suitable men for the defence forces. The annual camp is a good idea and very popular, but something more Is necessary to attract recruits. Would It not be possible for the Defence Department and the Railway Department to work out a plan whereby every man, after serving a year and attending the requisite number of parades, etc., would be granted a free pass on the railways? I would suggest that for the first year’s training he should get a pass of not more than 100 miles. After the second year that could be doubled. The passes could be Issued in such a way that the addition of these men to the passenger traffic would not create difficulties. The passes would not be given In the periods when holiday traffic Is very heavy. The Defence authorities would pay the Railways out of the annual vote, on a reduced basis for the large volume of business offering, and this would be a really valuable return to most of the young men. It would encourage them to see more of the country they were prepared to defend, if necessary.—l am, etc., OLD GUARD. Hamilton,•August 24.

PIG MARKETING.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —In to-day’s Times appears a letter from Mr 11. M. Peirson which is inaccurate from start to finish. Ho should know that the Department of Agriculture gave the Industry two alternatives with reference to grading, 1.e.: (1) Retain the present first grade, but stiffen it up by placing 10 per cent, to 15 per cent, of the worst kinds of carcases In the second grade; (2) adopt a “finest selected’’ grade with certain carcase measurements for length and back-fat. It asked various interests to state their preference.

The Buttermilk Association intimated that they favoured the first system, as did the New Zealand Pig Breeders’ Association; and in connection with grading a delegation f-om our association visited Wellington to interview the Director-General of Agriculture, who assured us In unmistakable terms that It was the Intention of the Department, after hearing all sides of the argument, to adopt the first scheme. It was a shock to know a few days later that the Department had reversed their plain intimation to our representatives and were adopting the “finest selected" system.

The attitude of our association Is clear and unmistakablo. We consider that It is not in the best interests of the New Zealand pig producer to make any alteration in the present grades while the export of pigs is in :1s infancy, and while wo cannot produce enough pigs to reach the quota given us by Great Britain. We consider that the present first grade should be tightened up gradually and made a real first grade. By this method the English buyer will not be confused and the average New Zealand farmer will have time to put Ills house in order, while he will at the same time be receiving the maximum price for his pigs, for it is the concensus of opinion of most of the trade that the .English curer would not pay us the Id per lb premium for “finest selected," but would only pay us the first grade price for it, with a corresponding reduction on the price of all other grades.

It Is evident that Mr Peirson is not interested in the over-all net cash return to the producer, but the members of my association, with many thousands invested, have every right lo awaken the New Zealand farmers to the true position, for what applies to us applies also lo the farmer, oniy more so, as we as a body farm far more efficiently than the average dairy farmer.

Mr Peirson makes a virulent attack on the members of our association and their motives, but we arc not worried so long as our farmers realise where they are heading, and we feel that our members are 100 well known personally to the farmers of this province for any credence to be given to Ills remarks.

We have in our ranks the two most prominent breeders in New Zealand, who have imported many hundreds of pounds worth of pedigree stock whbh has been the means of effecting enormous Improvement in the quality in the last ten years, and It Is not likely that they are going to consider h national question like this from an entirely personal point of view. Your correspondent says "we are raising all kinds of objections to any form of grading which Is likely lo affect our pocket.” Wo acknowledge Ihe charge, but where Mr Peirson errs, however, Is that the farmers’ pockets will ho hit, also, and our efforts are directed towards acquainting him of Ihe fact. Mr Peirson makes a definite misstatement, when he says that the buttermilk fatteners are the biggest offenders with regard to carcase shape and that our pigs lower Ihe standard of New Zealand bacon, and we ask him to substantiate this or withdraw the Farmers will, realise flic position when it, is pointed out that our association’s members are able io obtain, on most occasions, a slight premium for their products, and the main buying firms, including the Co-operative Association, cluster around our farmers like bees round a honey pot, and an unbiassed observer will take a lot of convincing that these, buyers would show such interest in a product which would lower the value of their export i . j ,n nitelv do not over-feed. Although on* store pics are selected in a most careful manner with due regard to type (accounting for the prem’iim). It must he. admitted that, our Unshod product is definitely influenced l»y the class of pig we arc able to obtain from l!:o farmers, and we can only improve our product as ihe farmer improves hi*, ami Ibis improvement can only he brought about gradually. Mr Peirson lias quite evidently made no :dtempt t" investigate the repercussions that will follow Ihe Institution or the “finest selected" grade, and if lie cares to analyse my previous

statement to the Press, and read my remarks in to-day’* Times, he may take a different view of the matter. — I am, etc.,

’ P. O. BONHAM, Secretary, Auck. Prov. Buttermilk Pig producers’ Association. Hamilton, August 24.