THE MEANING OF BRITAIN'S AGRICULTURAL POLICY

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21418, 9 March 1935, Page 9

THE MEANING OF BRITAIN'S AGRICULTURAL POLICY

\ D IHX '-^° S ™ PR T I i,nd is preparing for war. s; CfbeUeve that war is inevitable, : ;5 ~°l everybody else, I hope it ;i e Whether England is - f'Zre or whether she should more pacific attitude is a 3 m hirh people have very '■-» on P The point I wish conV t hat England preparing 1 - £ a very different kettle preparations in 1914. P° ints of outstanding r;e« f e Firs t, there is the mof aviation, and .S increased importance _of *4 i/rieulture. the latter arising tnf the former. The trans- # TOU I f food to England in time made a more hazardof the developaeroplane. The respon■p- providing England with food rf war rests with the British ;3B e r 4g r ; cu iture. It is a very and the present fet dive loathe situation. In decision to be pre- &£? W involves being prepared people from within. Engtends to be self-supporting in as a military neces- • for other reasons. imagine England at war toit is a horrible thought; but it ji faced. One of Englandls a/amers would be the bombships from the air. ?-Snd is determined to avoid this &as possible. Her new agnpolicy involves the ultimate Nation of all debts owing to her rSd-exporting countries; hence the Rwanda against economic nationrp « British statesmen consider of their agriculture "-iiitary necessity, it will be deyeltankers and economic doctrines "Iftatoecase of the manufacture of li from coal in England, so witn «development of agriculture. If it u military necessity the question of iiTcost will go by the board. Bethe development of British agriXrt to a point that would enable ::country to exist in time of war nans an economic upheaval foi like Australia, New Zealand, ■■at Britain has endeavoured, and is ri! endeavouring, to break the ne-p as gradually as possible, --•srtunatelv, this method seems to by Dominion poli--ins. There is the possibility that -«change will come more quickly anyone desires, and there is a Sact and very unpleasant possibility fjew Zealand will be less preyed for the change than any other There is still much talk of farm schemes and the attitude is New Zealand affairs arc a mere rstter of adjusting prices to farm "tfC

IThe situation is tragic. A littlo indigent anticipation cculd soften the ■■nr; but it is not in sight, and the tape is all too short. New Zealand, b country that at one period was with intelligent leadership, seems : b incapable of rousing itself to heed y h« warning of England—a warning fe is given gently and considerately, i'. also persistently. We should be .■sporting machinery for the producer! ol petrol from coal; machinery for 3 sugar-beet factory in Christchurch; »r.2ineering machinery to deal with our iron deposits at Onakaka; we hould be pressing on with industrial itrelopaent at top speed. We should building houses by the thousand.

::i for our own people and for an ~jx of new people from England, fare is the money to come from? f:erc will the money come from when island develops her agriculture to :e point whtn the greater part of present exports are not required? ■■a no use saying it cannot be dene. Eort emphatically can be done. It 'so use saying it will not pay; we era that. But it will be done, swheless.—'Yours, etc.. D. C. DAVIE. March 8, 1935.