The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, MARCH 2, 1931. FARMERS' VIEWPOINT

Hokitika Guardian, 2 March 1931, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, MARCH 2, 1931. FARMERS' VIEWPOINT

There lias been a wide criticism of the Prime Minister’s economic proposals issued on behalf of the Government. There has been much adverse criticism from several quarters, but it is interesting to- note the farmers’ point of view, because they play so important a part in the country’s general prosperity. At a meeting last week of the Provincial Council of the Otago farmers, Mr Revie, the President, said that “as farmers we cannut fail to agree with the general principle of the Prime Minister's statement as issued early in tip. month. He is to lie congratulated upon having taken a determined stand in a situation which called for the most drastic remedial measures. It may he that a large body of opinion among farmers will consider that in certain matters Mr Forbes lias not gone far enough, but that should not blind us as a community to the necessity of backing up the Government in what it is attempting to do in the way ol instituting economies that have been absolutely nee. essarv for the past 12 or 18 months. He was disposed to dissent from the 10 per cent, cut in civil service wages, in that some of the salaries could stand a cut of 20 per cent ! He was of opinion that an effort should he made

< to have a sliding scale of reductions, ranging trotn, say, A pur cent, up to t oor 23 per cent. H' possible, salaries under the £2OO per annum mark should he left untouched, and the cuts made in proportion to the salaries from that figure up to the £2OOO and £3OOO mark. ‘‘No mention has been made,” lie continued, “of making the revision if the present Government superanUi.alien rates retrospective. 1 cannot . help feeling that there is something wrong with a system which allows men to retire at a comparatively early ago on superannuation ranging from £2OO to £2OOO per annum, and ] think some revision of all superannuation payments exceeding £'4oo is necessary.” Mr Hovio did not favour increased taxation to make good the deficit. He considered the. only effective measure was national economy, and on that a -count the economies might be more drastic that those proposed. He was "leased to note that the Government Ims decided to adopt the recommendation of the Railways Commission that the railways should be removed from political control, and can only hope that this will he made permanent and not, os suggested, n temporary measure. The proposal to give the Arbitration Court the power to review all awards was on« that must meet with general approval among farmers, hut they would like to see- the whole Act repealed and replaced by legislation providing lor eompiihory conciliation and optional arbitration. The court had been the cause of much of the present unemployment, and should he amended. It was also encouraging to note tin* proposal to give relief to ratepayers in respect t-> local body rates, hut they would like to se,> further legislation introduced to relieve the land from any taxation for highway and marling purposes. “There is hope for better tilings in the proposals as set, out by the Prime Minister,” concluded the speaker, “and. apart from the reflection that wo would have been much hotter off if present stand had been taken two years ago. we must feel more or legs sati-fied with what has occurred so far. The emergency session of Parliament called should see most of the provisions set out by Air Forbes made law, and it js to be hoped that the Government will see its way to make the few alterations and amendments that may he expected to effect a more even distribution of the burden of retrenchment which must he carried by this country before either farmers Or townspeople can expect to shake off the effects of one of the worst depressions in the history of the nation.” Those remarks wore supported bv another farmer pigment, and a Reform supporter, Mr F. Waite, ALT’., said lie was glad to see that Mr Forbes had decided to do the right thing, and, as far as support was concerned, he was likely to get more assistance from the Reform Party that from anv of hm own followers. Reform had battled for lower relief wages for years, and many of them had fought the 1928 election on that Hsue. t'nited members had made their platform the Lis i. day rate, and soim* of them were going fa find it very difficult to support fhe* Prime Minister in this matter. Afr Forbes was going to encounter trouble in the matter of additional taxation: From the foregoing it will he seen that the farmers lean very favourably indeed towards the economy proposals of the. Government.