THE FARMERS' VIEWPOINT

Chronicle (Levin), 4 May 1946, Page 7

THE FARMERS' VIEWPOINT

"Thcre is no easy .and quick rnethod of expanding the population of the Dominion and at the same time successfully absorbing newcomers into payable occupations. " That was the first of a serics of propositions presented to the •Committee today by Mr, A. P. O'Shea on behalf of the New Zeaiand Palmers' Union and Pederated Farmers. Other propositions were: — "The population of a eountry must be in proportion to its natural resources and also to its proximity to markets. In minerals New Zeaiand is one of the poorcst countries in the world and of I all exporting countries is the most distal) t from its markets. "Since the population of a eountry depends on production and since production is determined by costs, it is I vitally necessary for New Zeaiand to [keep her costs down to the lowest poseible lovel. "New Zeaiand is vitally dependent on production from her poorer land and costs are already endangering production from that land. "The wise method of increasing population is to malce it'possible for the population to be absorbed by or tli rough the poorcr land in tlie Domin- ! ion. This is possible oulv if town dwellcrs of the Dominion ivill play tlieir part in reducing costs. "If there is to be limited immigraMion people prepared to go on the land u ould be the most suitable immigrants but these cannot be absorbed unless economic conditions are favourable. "Care should be taken that iu any actions proposed or implemeuted to increase the population by-artifieial rather than by natural meaus, the general standard of living of the people of the Dominion is not Teduced. "Production from the 30,000,000 aeres* of poorer land in occupation in tlie Dominion, is vital to New Zeaiand 's prosperity," said Mr. O'Shea. "It cannot be done without unless we have a smaller population and/or a lower standard of living. New Zeaiand will never be able to compete in the world markets in anything other than primary products. For a larger population to be of assistance so far as New Zeaiand 's iuternal consumption of its nain exports is concerned,. the increase necessary to make an appreciable differ enee will have to be eifbrmous. In dairy pioduce' the population will have to be more than doubled and there is no pospibilHy nf iiicreasrd population kaving

an appreciable effect on the wool production. Farming is the economic basis of the whole Dominion 's life and fo increase the town as compared with the eountry population, will simply mean that the proportion of people wlio are contributing less than the farming community to the carrying on of the economic life oi the eountry, will be in-. creased. "The possibilities of a subdivision of slieep-farming properties were exceedingly limited since there were only about 2500 docks of over 2500 sheep in tlie Dominion and tliose docks wero situated almost entirely on poorer land where it was essential to make the most efficient possible use of capital, lie said. The hope of absorbing population by expanding the dairy industry was a vain oue since the 40-lioiir week poliev was designed to reduee the dairy industry in size and eventually to extinguish it. The real solution of our population, if a larger population were required, said Mr. O 'Shea, was to make it possible for them to be employed 011 or through the poorer land 111 New Zeaiand. Lower cost basis would make this possible but the number of people who could be tlius absorbed was limited. and would not run into the millions gener allv spoken of. The fact that we had only 10,000,000 acres of land of roa scnable natural or ihduaed fertility, was a domin'ant factor in the whole of our economic life.