VALLEY DAIRY FARMERS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4387, 8 March 1922, Page 4

VALLEY DAIRY FARMERS.

financial embarrassment. A full report of discussion which took place in Parliament during the lasv session in respect to financially embarrassed dairy farmers is now to hand. Mr H. Poland (Ohinemuri) said : There is another matter I wish to bring before the notice of the Prime Minister. It is in c.onnection with the dairy farmers in. the Waikato and Thames Valley and other parts who are being severely embarrassed financially by the present reduction in the price of butter-fat. He has made a provision to forego gift duty (where the mortgagor and the mortgagee agree between themselves for a reduction in the mortgage). But cant not he go further and make provision for the genuine bona fide case of men who are being threatened with foreclosure because they cannot pay some small part of their interests ? We are making provision to give to the Dunedin University £6OOO.

The Right Hon. Mr Massey: Lending it. Mr Poland : Well, lending it', Dunedin University is getting a loan of £6OOO because the settlers on its eni dowment lands cannot pay their interest. It is only going a step further for the Government in bona fide cases of farmers who are being pusni ed off their land to give assistance and protection to them until they have a chance to put their case before 3ome tribunal. Here is a telegram I received yesterday from Mr Ellicott, of Hamilton : “Second mortgagee foreclosing, Auckland Supreme Court, for nonpayment interest. Am d married man with six children. All I- ask is protection for few months. Interest owing £49 and £3O- In solicitor’s hands. Mortgagee will not accept,. Will lose my farm if protection not forthcoming.”

The Prime Minister wants nothing more than that, if it is a bona flde case, and I have no doubt it is. The Right Hon. Mr Massey: The second mortgagee cannot do that. Mr Poland : I do not know. I am not a lawyer. He says: “Second mortgagee foreclosing in Supreme Court for non-payment b£ interest” I believe every man in the House has sympathy for these cases of hardship. Some of the difficulties may-be owing to the fault of the farmer, but there are hundreds of cases of small bona fide fanners who are in the position to-day that: Mr Ellicott is in, and it is the duty of Parliament, before it adjourns ,t'o devise some means to give reasonable help in such cases. Every man in Parliament has sympathy with them, and it is the duty of the Prime Minister, as head of the Government, to assist, them in some way; It is all very well to have a mutual arrangement with regard to a reduction of the mortgage; o that is a great help, but here is a case of the second mortgagee coming down and foreclosing on top of men wfo'o have no right to be pushed off the land simply because a temporary reduction in butterfat exists at the moment. I hope that something will be done in the direction I fa'ave indicated.