WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 13 October 1930, Page 2

WELLINGTON NEWS

NO NEED FOR PESSIMISM. L . • (Special Correspondent). WELLINGTON, Oct. 10. This seems to Kaye been adopted as the platform slogan of politicians, for we find the Federal 'Prime Minister, Mr .J. H. Seullin, telling the peoplt, of London that there is no need fo.i pessimism so far as Australia was : concerned, and the Acting-Prime' Min ister Pf this Dominion, Mr A. E Ransom voiced somewhat simila . . 1 C" • opinions in Parliament the other day. He went further, and blam.ec, the opposition for starting the'waveof pessimism; ’ Everyone ’will ‘ agree that pessimism will afford us no help at the present time, indeed it is harmful', on' the, other hand optimism without action well directed will not get ns anywhere. It is a gratuitous insult to tire people l of New Zealand to accuse them of being pessimists. 1 ■ • '

If there is (any section oif the community that should indulge in this mood it is the farmers; for their labour is as heavy and strenuous' as it has ever been, their ihcoraes ape growing shorter through the decline in values; and yet they. rare continuing to produce, continuing to export, icontinuing to do the best for themselves and the country. The farmers are not pessimistic, but they are despondent, and one cannot blame them for it. They see less\ money coming m, they see their incomes reduced, their spending power curtail, ed and their standard of life lowered, and yet they cannot regulate the work to fit in with their income. There is no Arbitration Court to stand between them a.s >producers and the consumers.. They have to stand and see others protected in the standard of- life by award wages and these do not have to work so strenuouily' for such, long * hours asfann--ers. What' is the use of telling the farmers that, there is no need for pessimismunder suchOircumstances, The slogan, however is very comforting to the politicians-for it helps to divert attention 1 from the ugly conditions that exist and; -to a certain extent; saves them the ? trouble of ’ 'doing'anything, •• : ' ..

The farmers are the backbone of the country, for it is the production of the farms that provides us with our material wealth, and not the factories, and. 'yet nothing is done to help'HWm. ;;.it ,- mnst be ; patent to? everyone that farmers as a body are at a loss. This cannot go. on " indefinitely, >and if tnefi and yyome'p;' are to he retained On the land to maintain and lhcteasetejig, volume of*sl%ductiom’'6ne of two tHiligs must hnppett. - ... ■ Either produce prices must rise so ni. tb give the producer a msonnibk? profit, or poets production must be reduced so that a reasonable profit will accrue at the present level of produce prices. There is no immediate prospect of prices advancing, nor is it possible for us to do anything to improve prices, for they are beyond our control. We must do what is within our power, and that is reduce the cost- of production. It” is because nothing is being attempted in this direction that farmers and business men are despondent. • The business man expresses his despondency by saying that the outlook is uncertain and the average business man is acting with caution. He is economising in every possible, direction, nursing his ajssets and carefully watching the trend of affairs. The politicians appear to bo doing nothing but fire off the platform slogan of “No need for pessimism.”

•A' company director in the Wairarapa in a recent speech to shareholders remarked that four factories .would,.speedily reduce the cost of liv-ing,'.stimulate-the industry and provide work in New Zealand, namely, lower money wages reduced cost of Government and dooial servise and so reduced taxation; lower transport (though the latter is governed meetly jby the fanner) ; and by further adjustment of the price of land. Politicians baulk at the lowering of money wages for ;such a scheme would lose them and their party hundreds’ of votes that entitle them to write M.P. after their names.

The politician’s iirst consideration is votes, and that is the with politicians in all countries where the people. enjoy the franchise. The good of the country does: not come into the picture except incidentally or accidentally. In this Dominion it is imperative that we see to it that the farmer makes a reasonable' income out of his services.

The farmer is continually being urged to increase production, but no urge would be'needed if he were given a chance to make profits. But that is being denied him at the present time, and he is being crushed between two forces beyond ,his immediate control. He must sell his produce in the open market at com petitive prices and be content with what he gets; to supply his own wants he must purchase ,in a sheltered and regulated local market, and what lie lias to pay absorbs all. or nearly all, he receives. But there is no Tided for /pessimism., there is ‘a good time coming in the sweet by and by, according to politicians.