Family Allowances Taken To Meet Drought Losses

Chronicle (Levin), 19 December 1946, Page 6

Family Allowances Taken To Meet Drought Losses

- Press Assoeiation

By Telegraph-

DARGAVILLE, Dec. 18. Northern Wairoa servieemeii with -children who suffered financially in last season's dr'ouglit after being rehabilitated on farms, have in eft'ect had their family allowances garnished by the State Advances Department to meet commitments on their farms. This faet, repeated in case after case, fornied a surprising hfghiight oi' a meeting ealled yesterday by the Northern Wairoa Returned Services Assoeiation in a campaign to obtain a jnst measure of drought relief for rehabilitated seryicemen farmers. The outcome of the meeting was a decision to circularise all branches of the R.S.A. in North Auckland, to collate a full schedule of drought losses suffered by rehabilitated returned men Ihi'oughout the north. Concerted action to obtain the relief freely proinised, will he taken at a conl'erenee to be held in Whangarei probablv in February. The convener of the meeting whieh was attended by servicemen I'armers affected by the last drought, was Mr. M. C. Astley, Xoifheru Wairoa R.S.A. president, and also prescnt were Messrs E. (I. Appleton, • chairman of the Xorth Auckland Dairy Assoeiation, S. W. Smith, 1M.P., and D. A. Finlayson in their capacity as nicmbers of the Dairy Assodiation, who proinised all possible assistancc in the combined effoi't to obtain relief. IMany of the voung servicemen i'armers described how, al'ter using their gratnities and private capital to pay debts during the drought, they were told that, by

departmcntaf direction, family benefits paid to their wives must be included in the farm budget in meeting commitments. Cases quoted showed how the State Advances Department gran.ted meagre and sometimes brief postponement of commitments. The servicemen farmers claimed tliat their experiences belied the promise of the Prime Minister and other ministers that 110 rehabilitated farmcr of the second world war would be allowed to suffc'er finaneially because of the drought. Arnong the cases quoted w,ere : One servieeman farmer lost 3000 ibs. in butterfat and £70 in pig production through thc drought. He sanlc a granity oi nearly £150 into the farm followed by the family allowance. The result was a profit of £7 for thc whole season. Relief granted was the suspension of a payment of £25 which must be met this year. A second instanee concerned a servieeman farmer who was down 2500 lbs. in fat and £80 in pigk He paid £36 in grazing and 011 that grazing lost i'our cows vahicd at £50. The losses were addod to this year by £132 through repia cing the cows with lower producing heifers. After meeting commitnients^by using £300 of his owu capital, including £172 gratuity. the department remitted £12 in interest which will be added to the end oi' the mortgage.