TRADE AND FINANCE

Marlborough Express, Volume LXVIII, Issue 150, 27 June 1934, Page 8

TRADE AND FINANCE

FARMING PROFITS. STATEMENT CRITICISED. A KAIKOURA DISCUSSION. At a meeting of the General Committe.? of the Kaikoura A. and P. Association on Saturday afternoon strong exception was taken to the published remarks of Mr L. R. C. Macfarlane (Culverden) in his address as retiring presiclent of the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand, at the annual meeting of the society held in Wellington. The statement criticised was: "Improvements have been seen in the quantity and quality of production, and in high working profits, which have enabled most of the losses of the last four years to be paid off." The meeting, which was presided over by Mr W. M. Acton Adams (president), fully aiscussed the paragraph. and the foliowing motion, moved by Mr R. R. Laidlaw, was carried : — "This association feels that this statement gives an entirely erroneous impression of the farming industrv of to-day, and coming, as it does, from the president of the Royal Agricultural Society, is all the more serious because of its misleading aspect. As far as grain-grow-ing is concerned. this association is not in the position to make. any statement, as this type of farming is not carried out in the district to any extent. Concerning sheepfarming, figures available from both back and front country would show that the above staterpents ,(by Mr Macfarlane) are grossly exaggerated. Concerning dairy-farming, the statement is patently absurd."