The Dominion. FRIDAY, MAY 25, 1917. FARMERS AND THE COST OF LIVING

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3093, 25 May 1917, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, MAY 25, 1917. FARMERS AND THE COST OF LIVING

Ihb nieiab&re bf tho Civil Service Associativa who made complaint to the Minister a clay oij-tfwq ago about tbe increased cost •01 living probably were led rather turtner than they intended to go in tbeir search for a, femedy. Their nrst proposal was that the Govern-ment-should restrict tho soiling price of locally-produced foodstuffs, ™"S '"at price on a pre-war basis. When the Minister suggested that this interference with the farmer who produced the food supplies in question was likely to lead to tho farmer refusing to grow certain classes of foodstuffs, the deputation promptly met the difficulty by advocating that the Government should take over the farms and work them itself, paying the owners a fair rent. Tins, in reply to the Minister, tho deputation stated it regarded as a practical, proposal. But is it? In the first place, it would mean conscription of labour, for it would be useless taking over the farms unless the farmers remained tb.ere to work them. Wo have no objection , ' to conscription of labour as a, t war necessity; indeed, ,wo should givo every possible support to anyystop in that direction should it be.deemed necessary. But obviously it would be unfair to conscript only the labour of the farmer, if there is to be conscription of labour, why not conscript all labour and pay a universal war wage? Setting aside, however, the unfairness of siich special penal class legislation as is suggested, what would bo tho effect ot the State taking over all farm holdings and running them on its .own account? How far would it tend to reduce tho price of farm products? For the purpose of considering this proposal we shall ignore the difficulties that must certainly arise out of tho leasing of flocks of sheep and herds of cattle and horses, the killing off and replacing o f stock, and so on. r*T T e n -We " )rus * l asicle tllcso difficulties does'" any sano man think, that the farmer and his fam"J. are going to work on their farms for a Government wage as they worked for themselves? What would bo tho immediate effect of tho change, assuming it were practicable for tho State to take over and run all the farms of the country on a wage basis 1 The first outcome would bo that the farmer and his family would adopt what is known as the "Government stroke." Instead of working I' 4 and 16 hoiks a day land putting forth their best efforts, they would expect to work only their 48; hours a week, and being of necessity in most cases free from supervision they naturally would not exert themselves unduly. The outcome would bo a steady and increasing drop in production. A lessened production would not assist- to lessen .prices for the foodstuffs produced. On tho contrary, it would, other things being equal, naturally have exactly; the opposite effect. There has to be borne in mind in this respect that tho cry throughout the whole world to-day is for an increased supply of foodstuffs. There is a, world shortage owing to the war, and in Great Britain at tho present moment the Government is striving its utmost, by way of financial assistance, the provision pf skilled, farm labour, and the guaranteeing of a fixed and high minimum scale of prices, to stimulate production by the farmers of Britain. In such circumstances as exist at the present time it would be criminal folly to adopt any course liable to hamper or restrict production in a food-producing country such as' New Zealand.

There-arc, of course, many other objections to such a proposal if such are needed to demonstrate the folly as well as the injustice of State interference , on the lines suggested; The fact should not be,lost sight of that the enormous increase in outnational expenditure as the result of the war must be met alriiost entirely out of the products of the land. That the majority of the farmers have had larger incomes as the result of the high prices ruling for wool, meat, butter, and cheese- no one can dispute, but the State is taking a very substantial proportion of the increased income by way of special taxation. When the revenue figures for the past financial year aro made known in a few weeks' time, the country will bo in a better position than it is to-day to judge of the.part the farming community is playing in meeting the cost of the war. Place the farmers of the. country on a wage basis and pay them a rental for their land as suggested, and the millions n,ow paid to the State Treasury and Ho municipal bodies in taxation and rates will have to come from some other source. The war costs will have to bo met and the general administration of the country'carried on , as usual. .1.1. may l»o said that the Government will have the profits from tlic- land to recoup it tor fchq loss of taxation; but docs anybody really think there would lie any

Urge, profits from.Stafc-riin f arin j the working of wind, it won d bo ■jiupossiWo to supervise at all doe \h and which would sell the r mulcts at reduced prices in orlr in cu. down the cost of living To talk of such a reckless experiment as a practical proposal Calculi to relieve the existtfii; high cost . for Bonoue consideration. Witlfiho .Restriction of imports threatened hy the shipping shortage then* ievery probability of / hea'S drop m Customs revenue this year an the country will Uve to ret n creasing y on the contributions hv way of taxation which the farmin. ing to the high prices ruling f or hen- products,-That the cost of Hvmga high herepd throughout the whole world we/all knowf but the position ,s not ' to be remedied bv