FARMER SHOULD BE GIVEN PRIORITIES

Chronicle (Levin), 3 December 1947, Page 6

FARMER SHOULD BE GIVEN PRIORITIES

WELLINGTON, Dec. -2. The- greatest national effort sliouhi be made to luake more labour available to farmers, even sliould that effort encompass steps normally regarded as "almost revoluthmary ". This .conten tion was advanced to tlie Boyai Commissiou 011 Biieepfai-ming when subraissions were made on behalf of the New Zealand tttock and iStation Agents ' Assoeiation -by Mr. K. »S. Plimmer. An industry must languish if the asset upon which. it was dopi ndv'iit were perliiitted to deteriorate and it was during periods ' of prusperity that capital assets sliould be inaintained and improved, he said. As the farming industry was the bnckbone of New Zealaiul 's economy, it was submitted that everv help and eneouragemeul sliould be given to individual farmers to strengthen their . Ihnmcial position and improve. tlieir asset in the way of land and live stock during times or good prices. It was submitted that when the overseas supplv position becanie auything like normal, priority should be given to iniports whieh were essential t'or tlie adequate running an 1 proper maintenance of farms. It wouhl be wrong if the overseas fuuds created by the sale of farm produce, were used to import, for example, luxurv iines while tliere was an internal shortage of essentinl farin requisites obtainable overseas. The rehabilitation of returned servieemen in the farming industry wureally, a niajor operation in the Dominion's ecouomy, lie eontinued. It eotild upset the balanee between the production of dairy produce on the oue liund and meat and wool 011 tlie otlier. In tlie course of tihie it miglit weil happen that. beeause of the settlemenc of returned meii as dairy farmers on fattening land, tliere wouhl be insuttieient fattening land to liandle a!l the ^tore stoek. Tliis malter must be approached in a far-siglited niunuer. "We regard it witli some seriousness and hope that the policv uow being followed is not just a hit or niiss oue." Agreemenl witli ihe view tliat some

national remedy was required to rid the Doniinion of its rahbit pest, was expressed by the Under-Gecretary of Lands, Mr. 1). M. Greig, when he gave evidence. Kabbit boards had beeu most efHeacious agencies so far, lie said, but in the higli country where ruting was dihicult, this method of keejiing down the rodent menace was hardly satisfactorv. ' ' Many people make a lot of money out of rabbits — if rabbits were decommereialised, do you think it wou'd i>e a step in the right direction?" asked Hon. K. Eddv, M.L.G., a rnemof the Comiuission. 'Mr. Greig said he could not answer that question on the spot.