LIFE ON THE LAND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26640, 10 December 1947, Page 6

LIFE ON THE LAND

TWO IMPORTANT FILMS PREVIEW IN DUNEDIN Under the auspices of the Otago provincial executive of Federated Farmers a private screening was held yesterday morning in the Strand Theatre of two films, “ Vanishing Heritage ” and “ Practical Co-opera-tion,” both of which will be seen in the near future in the Kerridge-Odeon theatres throughout the Dominion. A feature of the films is the high .photographic standard. They were taken by Mr Lee Hill, a Wellington photographer, who had a good deal of experience as an official photographer during the war. For their entertainment value, the films, too, have much to commend them, and credit is due to the Action Committee of Federated Farmers for its effort to give further publicity to the supreme part being played .. in the Dominion’s economy by the man on the land. Most of “ Vanishing Heritage ” was “shot” on Mr James Andrews’s lea Station, 30 miles from Masterton, but there were several delightful scenes from the South Island, mostly of high country stations, and also a glimpse of Dunedin. Throughput, emphasis is placed on the fact that the sheep farmer has almost become the “ forgotten man,” although, as the narartive mentions, nearly 28 per cent, of New Zealand’s annual productive effort and 44 per cent, of our annual export trade comes from wool, mutton, and lamb. The film has a particular value as it is designed to show that part of the Dominion which so few people normally see—the hill country runs.

“ Practical Co-operation ” is a shorter film, and was made in conjunction with the Primary Producers’ Co-operative Society, Ltd., operating in conjunction with Federated Farmers in the Auckland province. Its particular message is for the farmer himself, and emphasises the great value of co-opera-tion. It deals with the principle of co-operation to the selling of cull dairy cows, when a group of farmers in the Waiuku district combined to pool their resources- and their efforts to drive their culls to the meat works. By avoiding the “middleman” and the uncertainty of the usual sales, they have increased substantially the returns they will get from the sale of their culls. The narrative of both films was written by the publicity department of Federated Farmers.