RURAL CREDITS IN MANY LANDS

Hokitika Guardian, 24 July 1926, Page 4

RURAL CREDITS IN MANY LANDS

THE COMMISSIONERS’ TOUR

WELLINGTON, July 119

In the course of their investigations abroad, members of the Rural Credits Commission visited practically every country in Europe, ius well as the United States and South America, and they Thus had a unique opportunity of studying world conditions as they exist to-dav.

One of the members of the Commission, Colonel J. J. Essen, of the Treasury Department, when interviewed, gave an interesting account of the impressions formed by him during the trip. Colonel Esson stated that the

members of the Commission had been treated with the greatest possible courtesy wherever they went, and had

been granted every facility in making their enquiries. Ho had been particularly impressed by the Tact that our

rivals in trade, who might have been excused for being a little reticent.

were amongst the most courteous when

it came" to giving information. Great Britain had some very fine Ambassadors, and in the Consular service many of the men were veritable encyclopaedias. Members of the Commission also received valuable, assistance from the High Commissioner’s of.ice. EUROPE’S RECOVERY.

Questioned regarding the conditions of post-war Europe, Colonel Esson said that the war-stricken countries were certainly recovering. 01 course, in France, they had their currency cldhculties. The rural population of France, were working very hard and oil the whole the farmer appeared to he prosperous. Belgian, and Dutch farmeis were certainly prosperous. 'lhc Germans were also working very haid in an endeavour to regain their lost trade.

The agriculturists are diligent, the .farms wore well kept and well fertilis-

ed, the buildings wore good, and the people were sober and generally prosperous. Ol course they had then difficulties: for instance, they had to pay very high prices for what they used although prices were gradually getting back to normal. Holdings generally were so small that the ia 1 mei had to work very long hours and very hard in order to get the utmost limit of production out of his holding. I hat was the only way to succeed. The Germans were making strenuous elforts to make good the economic loss and.the wastage of war. 'I hev seemed to be getting over their currency problems, now that they were back to the gold standard. Germany was well organised and was

quite reconciled to the fact that they did not win the war. They had their unemployment problems, and he. noticed the other day that there were two million people out of work. The number was hot so great as that when ho was in Germany. There was a dole system in Germany, but the amount paid out was not as big as was the case in England. It was not big enough to make a man content not to work. The Germans had been very courteous and kind to members of the Commission. IN DENMARK. “The Danes look upon us as one of their strongest competitors,” remarked Colonel Esson when he was questioned about Denmark. Despite that, however. the Danish people treated members of the Commission with ever} i curtesy and kept absolutely nothing back. The .fertility of Denmark. Col-

onel Esson thought, was due more to the labour and industry of the agriculturists than to the quality of the bind itself. They bail called in the aid of science is their agricultcral work, and they aimed at producing the very best and nothing hut the best. As an instance, Colonel Esson said that if a guest in a. London hotel complained of the quality of a Danish egg which was served-up to him at breakfast, it was possible by means of thei stamp on the egg to trace its origin right back to the poultry farmer in Denmark. That farmer was warned, and if there was another offence lie was fined and probably prohibited from exporting. That principle apolied to all their produce. Considerable research work was carried out in Denmark, and this applied also to most of the countries of the world. There seemed to he a general desire to find improved methods of conducting the business of farming, for farming was a business. NO TRAFFICKING IN FARMS. Discussing Continental farming generally, Colonel Esson said that a farmer •regarded his farm as his permanent home, and was not holding on for a

rise in land values in the expectation of making money. To a Continental farmer farming was the business of his

lifetime, lie was very careful with his implements. He also went in for intensified cultivation and tilled the ground right tn the walls of his barn. Colonel Esson was next questioned regarding conditions in the Homeland. He prefaced his remarks by stating that lie bad found a very great regard for New Zealand in the minds of the people at Home, a regard almost amounting to affection. They thought a. lot of New Zealand. Our credit at Home.stood very high, a fact that was exemplified hv the last'loan. Colonel Esson stressed the necessity of New Zealand sending Home nothing but the verv best produce. CONDITIONS AT HOME.

Referring to. the general strike, Colonel Esson .said that it had just finished up before members of the Commission left for home. England had naturally received a sharp sat-back, hut recovery was proceeding rapidly. Apart from the long-drawn-out coal strike, conditions were becoming normal. The Old Country was not in such a had way as some people seemed to imagine. The spirit of the people was remarkable. Coupled with the tendency of the British people to growl, there was an earnest effort, tn forge ahead. The lemnrknble orderliness of the British people had been exemplified during the strike.

Speaking of America, Colonel Esson said 'that the people were very hospitable and ever ready to give their country a. boost. The United States was by no means full yet; there was any amount of room tor development, especially in the Southern States. To tlu.it fact the people were fully alive. In California, the farmers were going in for intensive cultivation, particularly in the production of citrus and other fruits, but down south there were big holdings. Farm finance in America tended to encourage small holdings. South America was also developing, “We found it quite true” he said, however “that rural credit systems are operating successfully in all but two countries which we visited. Peru is just setting out on 'a credit system. Brazil has a very fine system on paper, but it is not operating.”

especially in the export of beef and butter. In Chile members of the Commission saw one of the best equipped agricultural laboratories they had seen during their trip. The Chilians were devoting a great deal of attention to dairying. Naturally Colonel Esson was not at liberyt to discuss the nature of the report which the Commission will place in the hands of the Governor-General.