POSITION OF THE FARMER.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20492, 10 March 1932, Page 8

POSITION OF THE FARMER.

GOVERNMENT BLAMED. MR E. J. HOWARD'S VIEWS. [From Our Paruamintart Reporter.] WKELLINGTON, March 9. "We have had a Farmers' Government in this country for the past 20 years, and now they aro squealing because .20,000,000 acres of the land in occupation is failing to pay its way,'' declared Mr E. J. Howard (Lstb., Christchurch South), in the House of Representatives to-day, when laying at the door of the Government the responsibility for the depressed state of the farming community. In reply to an interjection by Mr J. Bitchener (C., Waitaki), that the drop in prices was responsible, Mr Howard said farmers had ruled this country for twenty years, and it was not to be wondered at that farming land was not producing satisfactorily. Mr Howard recalled his recent visit to the Waitaki district, where there were great stretches of dry land surrounded by the prolific .waters of the Waitaki river. A water-race had run along the high land for the past fifty years, practically' running through and, directly above the. land on which stock were starving for a. little green feed, and yet it was not until a year or so ago that one man -whose property was nearby had conceived the idea of tapping this . water-race and feeding his property with much-needed nutriment. The result was that this man's property was now carrying hundreds of sheep, and producing luxuriant crops from land which, hitherto, was almost perpetually starving. "Why," Mr Howard said, "if I told the truth about this piece of land you would say I had an interest in a syndicate and wanted to sell it. Farmers were squealing all over country. Inefficiency Alleged. "AftcT their own people had been in charge of affairs for the past 20 years I venture to say that jf the City man (meaning Sir Ward) had lived, this country would have had a different story to tell to-day. Only about 50 per cent, of our farmers areexporters, but this fifty per cent, are running the Dominion. How could it be said that the drop iu prices -wus responsible for the condition of the farmers, when the producing industries had not been handled efficiently? Wheat farmers were not exporters, so what was the use of telling them that they would benefit from the exchange premium on their exports. The drop m English prices did not directly affect wheat-farmers. It was the milestones of muddlement of the Government of the past twent^years, a Farmers' Government, that was responsible for the internal position at th« f&imm,"