Pohangina Valley

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 42, 19 February 1937, Page 3

Pohangina Valley

From Our Own Correspondent

On Tuesday evening-, farmers from all parts of tho district were present at the I Raumal hall on the invitation of the Pohangina Valley branch of the Farmers’ Union to hear an address on compensated prices. Tho address, which was delivered by Colonel Closey, was followed with keen interest and much food for thought was given by the speaker’s able presentation of the problems and difficulties of the primary producers Illustrating his address by a series of interesting charts and graphs, the Colonel spoke with fluency, and fully maintained his reputation as an interesting and entertaining speaker on economic subjects. It must be clear to every student of Ne\/ Zealand political economy, said the speaker, that the farmers are facing a crisis. The historical

course of farming policy in this Dominion was now broken, and the trend of rural life would take a new course from the influences now taking shape. We were a farming community first and such manufacturing projects as received encouragement and help, made their case good by their relationship to the primary industry From time to time an infant industry appealed for help on the grounds that when it achieved maturity it would serve the country as capably as the overseas supplier who held the market. Almost without exception, these requests were granted, but the industries showed no signs of ever growing up into independence. On the other hand they increased in size and number, and the plea for protective tariffs was wider and higher. For sixty years this building of the tariff wall has gone on without halt, every higher tariff producing a higher cost, with the Arbitration Court subscribing its part in the awarding of higher wages to compensate the worker for the higher cost of living. To-day the New Zealand price level stood half as high again as that of the world outside, and there was neither the wish nor the intention to bring it lower. As far as the people are concerned who do all their business within the Dominion, this high price level was no hardship, but to the exporter it was ruinous to have to pay this high price for all he buys and having to accept the low world price level for all he sells. All efforts to secure a lower internal price level by the lowering of tariffs had met with failure. Powerful organisations. including the manufacturers’ Association and the Trades Unions were working to maintain the present level. The alternative, that of raising tho farmer’s returns to compensate him for tne raising of internal costs had met with little opposition and much support. The manufacturer, the worker and the trader, while antagonistic to any suggestion of dropping their prices, had at heart a broad feeling of live and let live, and no great resistance is offered to the idea of the farmer getting a liftup. They have come to recognise the obvious fact that if tho farmer is poor, everyone is poor. The assurance by the lion. W. Nash, when speaking of guaranteed prices for dairy produce, that "the payment to the farmer must be measured by tho same tape as is used to measure the payment to others who render equal service," is a matter of comfort to those cncerned with the farmer’s welfare. The true* reward of the exporter should be commensurate with the value of the wealth he has procured for the Dominion in Foreign trade. The scheme of compensated prices was a solution of the farmer’s difficulties and farmers should concentrate on this one objective. No new Bill was needed, as the Government had all the machinery necessary. There was no time to bo lost, during these days of re-adjustment, policies were being framed and tho farmers must organise and place their special circumstances before the Court of the New Kcononiics.

At the close o? the address, Mr J. D. Balmer, president of tne Iboal branch, moved, "that this meeting supports the

scheme of compensated prices, as outlined by Colonel Closey.” This was seconded by Mr G H. Passey and carried unanimously. On the motion of Mr Passey, seconded by Mr G. Wagstaff, Colonel Closey was accorded a vote of thanks for his address. Messrs N. Campbell, Niederer and Ij. I. Plimmer spoke briefly on affairs of the Union and organising.