MANKIND IS DEPENDENT ON AGRICULTURE

Chronicle (Levin), 13 February 1948, Page 4

MANKIND IS DEPENDENT ON AGRICULTURE

^ f The most important thing in the world is food— soinething to eat. This fact has been brought home with great force to hungry people in many countries throughout the world since the conelusion of the war. An outraged natufe in a period of reaction is causing mankind to realise how dependent we are upon the produce from the soil .Because of our small population in a cduntry naturally adapted agricpltural " pi'oduction itiany pebple are apt to'forget that food is the soufce of'all life. Society has its roots in the soil and any policy that ignores this fact is certain to result in many serious troubles for the people.

Factors in the dis'turbed world overseas may at any time react upon our economy in such a way as to cause much more serious thought to be given to the relationship of society to the soil, its production, agricultural policy and management. In the United States of America many Huoblems have arisen as the outcome of town populations becoming out of balance with the numbers of rural worker's. Some aspects of the problem have been dealt with in an article by Charles B. Kellogg. In view of a similar tendency. in New Zealand" much of the information jdiat' he has made available is of considerable importance in this country. "The art of agriculture is insepar^ able -from the art of homemaking! Hohiemakers are savers— the true conservationists. The substitution of the business ,of( .farming for the -art of agriculture signifies the first encroachment of - city ways ^into agriculture itself. The land " and the home of the- farmer then be--come capital. Through tlie inheritance of this capital by farm-born city dwellers, through payment of interest, and in other ways, cjties may sap the vitality of the country. No't Harmful "Even though they may gain political control and formulate social and economic policies of their own choosing for the nations, cities in thems6lves are not necessarily harmful to agriculture and can be very helpful. "Indeed, the farmer needs and must have the goods and services

of the city if he is to enjoy more i than a primitive social life. "In the struggle for power certain nations may seek to become self-sufficient. Special technique ! may be employed in order to pro- ! duce food aird other commodities • not naturally. -suited to such proj duction for a free market. Through j the use of bounties, tariffs, or other devices, governments can and fiequently do' throw the farmer out of adjustment to his landscape, • or at least make a new adjustment necessary. "At any moment these devices may improve or injure the conditions of thq individual farmer, depending upbn how they influence his own particular farm unit. But .if over a long period the tariff or other "devices are used -to subsidise inefficient production-a serious day of reckoning is likely to come. Frequently the distress in rural areas is due to the influence of .such artificial conditions. Again, other seemingly prosperous areas may owe their prosperity to some special economic situation, the continuity of which may be broken easily by the caprices of national or international politics. "Frequently,- the farniers'. inter-est-s may come into sharp disaereement with the nation's interests, or what may appear to the Government to be the nation's interests. And it is further obvious that in the struggle for national, power, untold. misery may be brought about through ' the operation of special economic forces- that destroy the adjustment hetween people- and their soil even during timqs of peace."