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Hokitika Guardian, 8 December 1930, Page 4

The foregoing article will bring home to renders, if the .situation is not realisted already, that a very serious posi tion of affairs confronts the Dominion as a whole. The <lrop in primary product prices is in itself more serious than the prevailing unemployment, which has ihcop typical of the declining trade of the country in respect to other sources. With the fall in prirnapry prices there is a heavy drop in the national income, and that is going to affect all and sundry, and make the employment question a more serious problem still. The Board, which now has the employment question in its keeping, has realised the plight o f the farmer to some extent, and is offering to subsidise the farm wage/s. This is not unreasonable in the circumstances and may be helpful in many instances to tide over the stringency. Various farming organisations have been pressing the Government to do something, including the calling of a special session of Parliament. Unfortunately there is not anv helpful suggestion regarding remedial measures. The situation is realised as desperate, hut the difficulty is to devise means of combating the lolw prices. At Hom e there has been some realisation even in the ranks of ha boor, that some, national measures are necessary outside of partv politics, to cope with the general situation. A. National Cabinet on the lines the War Council i P being advocated at Home, and Is being voiced too. bv a section of Labour. Tf Parliament is to be called together when Mr Forbes returns fund apparently that step must await his sanction! the occasion would be rine certainly for this country to consider a national form of Government for a, period at least, during which the best brains in the country, inside and outside of Parliament, might confer at a round table sitting for remedial measures. This means deferring definite action for a while, and meantime there is .sure to he every sympathy with the man-on the land, and he will not he pressed unduly regarding any temporary default. Meantime. unofficial conferences are to he held "by representative bodies. These mav be helpful in focussing ideas, and should assist to mould public opinion along the best lines. It i,s manifest that the country is waking up to a smiso of the serious position, and out of all this action, good must come. Meantime, the farmers themselves require to take a grin of affairs, and while economy must be practised generally there .should not he any stampeding to excess in the wrong direction. '"it is a time for satifie and sensible aoHon in the endeavour to do. the right thing in the right way, m the hope of securing the best financial returns from existing opportunities. With all that is being attempted, it is not a case of losing hone, but rather for courage in meeting the situation and overcoming the difficulties.