THE CASE FOR THE FARMERS.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 October 1921, Page 2

THE CASE FOR THE FARMERS.

THE SPIRIT OF PESSIMISM. straight talking. MR MASSEY OUTSPOKEN. (Special to “Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, October 11. While the House attended to various matters of smaller importance this afternoon, Mr Massey received a deputation from the Dominion Executive of the Farmers Union, and made some important statements in reply to the representations of the ‘liveill Kirs. The deputation was headed by Mi' D Hunt and the speakers were decidedly gloomy in tiitie. They insisted that the position of the fiirmt-rs was critical. Miniy Inert would ni)t pay their way, nor meet their interest charges. Complete disaster threatened them. They urged most strongly that the whole community must share the had times The Government must retrench drastically. The standard of living must be lowered, all round. Salaries and wages must come down. They asked for the the abolition of the preference to Unionists which had increased the burdens of the farmers by creating an artificial standard of wages and conditions. Mr Mnssev’s reply was very important He said the members of tlie deputation appeared to have lorgotten lie was a producer himself. He knew the difficulties of the producers as well as any man in the room and better than some of them. He had been through the depression of 'the eighties and the people who knew what happened then ought to be able to keep up their •mirage under present conditions. The statements made there were likely to he the biggest blow that the credit of the country had received tor many years past. He felt that very keenly, because it was his business to maintain the credit of the country. He could as’siit'e the members of the deputation that the Government had made s splen. ■dhl start with economies.; Ministers renlisod fully that tlu* first tiling W;l ' to bring the national expenditure with- - in the revenue, and then to reduce taxI jitioii. That was the policy of the Government. and it was being c-rricl into J effect. Already there had been a saving of C 1.500.000 per annum ill the expenditure of the Government. He h*d accepted a reduction of £2OO in hi* salary. He had oil his table a report of the Board lie had set up before lie went to England, to consider ccomcmy. this Board had don* very good work. Its recommendation would ‘require the support of Parliament betoro they were given elfrct, hut iie could say the recommendations proposed a saving of £2.000.000 a year, in addition to the savings he had mention -d already. lie believed this reduction could In- made without serious lia.dsliip. We have to look position sqiiar’lv in tin- face as reasonable and intelligent men. The Premier said:—“For Heaven’s sake, don’t encourage this spirit of pessiynism which seem to ‘4>e growing. I'in- position to-day is that any suiL-d 0 man -can get employment at 10s dav, and any married man at 12s a day. Ml Mathesim: “That is the wn-.t feature of the whole tiling. We who are not getting 5s a day must pay for it.

Mr Massey: ‘'.How much has tic’ farmer earned during the last nr years?" Delegate: 'it is gone.”

Mr Poison assured the Premier tint the extra income received by the farni•rs during the war years had been atsorbed by the increased cost of labour mil increased charges, and costs of ill kinds. , The land had actually gone hack in many cases. The increased

value of land had licen the farmers’ ' rloing, because they had increased their hiortgngos and their overdrafts at the banks.

Mr M assev : “I appeal to you not to go about the country talking as you have talked to me. That sort of tiling must do a tremendous amount of harm. The people of our race have had to face difficulties over anil over again The Government is doing and will do sverythiiig possible. That is the principal part of this session of Parliament.'’

Turning to tlie qiietion of preference to Unionists, the Prime Minister statist that this question would he consid-

cred by the Government before the session came to an end. The next business to he taken in hand by Parliament was the tariff. Farmers must not imagine that these problems were easy to settle. Ail amendment of the kind suggested would Ih- a matter of legislation, and lie knew the difficulties of legislation. The hill would have to go to the I ahour Bills Committee, and it might never appear agnin. Ho believed that labor laws -if Dominion were capable of very considerable; amendment. Tlie point raised by the deputation would lie consideicil seriously, and in a way that it deserved. Mr Hunt assured the Prme Minster the deputation hail come in a friendly spirit. The Government hail been urged for years past to increase expenditure ill every direction. 4he farmers were trying now to strengthen its hands in effecting economics. Mr Massey: “You have stated y'incase very dearly lmt don’t go about talking as if this was the end of all things.” Mr MarshallWe are all doing imr best to carry on. We are going to tight to the last ditch. All- Massey: “You will find work '’one during the next three months that I believe will he a pleasant stirprise to you.