THE COUNTRY’S REAL PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 55, 29 November 1926, Page 10

THE COUNTRY’S REAL PROBLEM

time for a conference,

Sir,—About a week before the conference of farmers to inquire into land tdttlement was held at Auckland 1 had written a rough draft of a letter which I intended to have published, and which ran as follows:— “An open letter on the commercial and economic problems of the British Empire. "Taking the commercial aspect first, the chief cause at the back of our troubles is the excessive margin of profit demanded by thq middleman. It must ba admited that the primary producer rarely receives more than a fair price. By middleman I mean, of course, the manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer. Largely owing to the high cost of necessities, result, demands for unreasonably high wages, which affect both primary producer and middleman. If a more equitable difference between the values received by the primary producers, and those at which the goods are passed on to the consumers could he arrived at, a better and sounder position all round would be reached. I will now go on to the economic problems. "We seem to have been educated up to an extravagant way of living, resulting in a determination to do and have what we like regardless of the cost. In the old times people were much happier; things worked more smoothly, and much more real solid work was done. The system of time payment is responsible for a great deal of the extravagance that noiv goes on. For it enables many people to have things, really luxuries, which they cannot afford, resulting often in those who supply’ the necessities of life. remaining unpaid." I have just now read the Hon. McLeod’s statement referring to the farmers' meeting at Auckland. From the above it will be seen that I was groping not altogether blindly along the right track. I sincerely trust that the Hon. McLeod will see that hi" statement is published in every paper in the Dominion. He and those who spoke at the Auckland meeting deserve the thanks of us all. both in country and town, for unless the farmer is prospering, his friend in town cannot long continue to do so. The whole position is the result of a little shortsightedness, which can surely bo rectified by all interested tackling the problem in a broad-minded spirit. The price of land is too high, taken all round, which adds to the difficulties of the farmers. I would again utter a warning against the expenditure of public money in any wav unlikely to be reproductive. I suggest that the Government should call together an economic conference representative of all shades of opinion, when the matter could be thrashed out from, every point of view. Of course, the middlemen would have strong arguments on their side, snch as cost of production. etc. But it should be possible to draw a line between a fair and an excessive profit.-I atmete., Bushv Park.