THE YOUNG FARMER

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 95, 8 May 1937, Page 18

THE YOUNG FARMER

Making Agriculture Attractive THE PROFIT MOTIVE "The unprofitable state of the farming industry is really the cause of the uon-attraction of boys and youths to agricultural vocations," said the secretaryyof the New Zealand Farmers' Unioh, Mr A. P. O'Shea, when referring in "Whllington to a statement that the tendency of . farmers to preseni their calling in its worst light was in some

measure responsible for a dwmaling in the number of boys taking agricultural instruction in high schools. The farming industry, he added, had been passing through an era of falling prices, and only now was having an opportunity to rehabilitate itself. Mr O 'Shea said that, even with the better prices ruling during the past six months, particulaxly for wool, thousands of New Zealand farmers had a tremendous • amount of leeway to make up to draw level with the position they occupied before th^ depression. The totaJ fall in the value of the New Zealand exports for the two years from March, 1929, to March, 3931, was 40 per cent. Rents and interest were cut only 20 per cent, and awards wero cut by only 10 per cent. From that it could bo seen that the farming industries " were hit much hardex than any other class of the communi'ty. "These' factis," said Mr O'Shea, '♦should. make quite clear the difficuljty farmers have suffered for some years past, and should demonstrate that they have still a long way to go to restore thoir capital. The recovery of the farming industry is a matter of vital concern to everyone, and until this question of the disparity between costs and incomes is dealt with in a practieal fashion it cannot be expected that farming will occupy the same inducement as other occupations. ''It is all very well for city dwellers ,in sheltered positions and with assured incomes to bemoan this present-day trend. However, the farmer has had to work in the cold world, as it were; and take the bixmps; and prevent them from being transmitted to the rest of the people in New Zealand. If economie forces had been allowed free play we perhaps would find a different point of view expressed by permanent officials in assured positions. "However, I believe a very great section of the people apprcciates the difficulties of farmers and that they a: o not without gratitude for the worh the farmers in tremendously incrcr.si;their production to offset the hugo 1 1 in prices. This saved the people ( Nerv Zealand a great dsa] of hardsh:; and is apprcciated by all thinkiijw ncfinln. ' "