The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY DEC. 3rd 1921.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 December 1921, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY DEC. 3rd 1921.

! Tin; story of the dentation from the ' Farmers Union which waited upon the I Prime Minirter last month makes ra- ! ther interesting reading. Our Welling- ! ton correspondent in yesterday’s issue , outlined some of its later phases. The 1 deputation did not represent the Palmers Union alone, the Council of Ag- • ricnlture, the Shenjiowners’ and Farmers’ Federation and several other bodies connected with the rural industries also taking part in its organisation and subsequent activities. Mr \Y. T). Hunt, one of the best known , . vn d most- capable business men in the

I loin.,lion. » .''l--'' l spokesman and in order to ensure accuracy and unanimity this gentleman prepared a written statement of wliat lie proposed to say, and submitted it to the other members of the deputation previous to seeing Mr Massey. The statement was very carefully considered and finally it was decided it should be read as it stood to the Minister. In due-course this was done

Everyone who reads the newspaper* at all closely- knows the nature oi that statement. It told the Minister with blunt candour that owing to live drop in prices, many of the farmers were ill a gravely embarrassed position that numbers of them were carrying oil only by tlm grace of the companies :*id firms'that were financing them i that their troubles were greatly aggiavated by the enormous burden ot taxation. and Unit unless they wile giien speedy and effective relief, hundredof them would go under and the rural industries of the country would be seriously imperilled. The statement was read in the presence of the reporters, including a representative of the London “Times” and judging from bis subsequent remarks. Mr Massey was mote concerned for the effect it would have nil a little loan lie was floating at the time than he was for the accuracy of its allegations. Hu soundly rated Mr Hunt for painting the financial condition of the country in such rd.willy colours, nnd would have bad the members of the deputation go a\\u.\ iqitli the impression they bad behaved like very naughty boys.

This is the stage at which our Wallinglon correspondent takes up the story. [I remains to be said foi Mi • ossey however, that from the delivery ol Mr Hunt’s plain review of the situation, dates the Government’s first serious efforts at economy. Previously, there had been promises for the future; now there were actual performances m the present. This producers’ deputation and the later business men’s deputation were the prime forces in moving Mi Massey into action. But the representatives of the Sheepowners and Farmers’ Federation oil the deputation without waiting for those results, duly humiliated by Air Massey’s scolding words, wrote to the Prime Minister repudiating all Mr Hunt bad said, and declaring that they bad joined m the deputation only because they thought its purpose was to offer good wishes and congratulations to the head of the Government oil bis safe return to New Zealand. Mr Massey himself must have gasped on receiving this communication, knowing the facts of the case a.s he did ; but after considerable interval, presumably to recover bis I rtro.il th, he read it in the House to prove, forsooth, that the deputation had not represented the opinions and good sense of the great majority of the producers.

The representatives of the Sheepowners and Farmers Federation had approved „f Mr Hunt’s statement when it was submitted for the consideration of the delegates and they had given not the slightest indication of dissent when it was read to Mr Massey or afterwards so far as any of the other members of the deputation know. Their reason for repudiating its contents may be BonjectiHcd, but it need not be stalls! here. There can be no possible d„ubt, however, that the statement- was absolutely •orreet in every material particular and that its public presentation to Mr Massey very considerably quickened his economising activities. Whether or nut it has been a.s elfective as its promoters hoped it would be, ix'ina’ins to be scan, but wo conte-s we are less sanguine oil this point than we were disposed to be. a week or two ago. The Prim# Minister’s reluctance to place the report of the Economies Committee on the table ol the Mouse is not encouraging.

Jv doing hum wlutt has boon happen-

ing in Parliament during the week, the Customs tariff is being revised on

strictly party lines. Whatever Mr Massey bus pioposed the reformers have consistently supported and the Liberals, Labourites and Independents us consistently opposed. This is not necessarily a reproach to the Gnvernniuut. Customs duties after all. are imposed mainly lor the purpose ot raising revenue and it is lor the Miniate, of Finance to say how much money is required, ami to indicate the way ot getting it. We could have wished, however, that the discussion of the new tariff had proceeded on a somewhat, In under basis. Quite a number of members appear to have taken tlicir views from tlicir respective bodies without enquiry or understanding. Even the Minister of Education who would have the rudiments of political economy taught in the public schools, sagely observed that people who escaped the tax could not reasonably object

lu conuibitiiig a little towards the public revenue through th* tea duty. We hope he did not mean to imply that the man who paid income tax shmiUl be exempt from Customs duties. Hut what he did mean, we cnnmn eve,, guess. The suggestion that equality of sacrifice would he reached by imposing Customs duties upon the man whose yearly earnings did not exceed the income" tax exemption, is of course unthinkable- However we do not object

to the continuance of the tea duty in the present time of stress though "e still wish to have it kept on record that this is a war measure. Some day in the not very remote future, the Dominion ought to be able to return to it's free breakfast table. Mr Seddon made this something more than a mete phrase many years ago, and many people would welcome its restitution n» . an appropriate tribute to the memory of the great l.iberal header. 1

Photkition in lli'-’ limy 0,1 Wfiit li> j i nonrly t wo hundred per tout, Iron* n,nf -' j ; pence to two shilling* I'" 1 ls 11 ! nniilor of mncli more rom-cquenrc I*'°“ ! tin. retentions of tlm duty on ton. This ! is f,anklv intended us it protection to . t| lo fariiior. who will lose tlm subsidy ' alter the approaching harvest but will he entrenched behind a duty o between Is 2d and Is 3d per b"she against importations from outside. >1 course the Minister of Agriculture "ho had expressed abhorence of the subsidy svstein, talked glibly of the advantages ti> the consumer in being assuied «> Stable supplies of borne grown whet. , providing him with cheap bre 1 o l himself and bran and sharps to s ' stock. This of course, is the ■' tt U I of the high protectionist, who a.g <■ ■ that bv keeping the forego compel to. „u* of the country, you nltini.it* 1> t the goal of abundant production '. ■„„! reasonable prices. Hut by no . I ~,: argument of the kind «* P- ’ sible to get away from the act that - „ew duty gives the local produce vorv l„no start against the world s -• n ,., r | ; ,.| -nd to that extent is a direct . I,,!. den unon the consumer. . , inl this is a sound national H '>• s m ». be discussed just now but i meanwhile there would be no advbntage • U 1 deluding ourselves into > . ,t.. lt dear wheat means cheap biea .