THE NEW FARMER.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 25 February 1920, Page 4

THE NEW FARMER.

More than one revolution is in progress on British land, but very little -.ma been heard of perhaps the greatest,

.ee advance of the farmer to commercial power (write* W. Beach Thomas in the "Daily Mail"). Arguing directly from present pro-

giess, I believe that British farmers will very soon be tho most powerful class in the community and to a large extent independent of the Test of the world. They will almost certainly own their own ships and be joined in the closest mutual alliance with farmers iu other parts of the Empire, especially Africa.

' They will come to do what Russian farmers have already done £o fast has co-operation developed in Eastern Russia during the last two years that the Siberian farmers have become owners of u number of the chief railways. Our farmers will hardly own main railways, though they may, indeed already do own bits of light railnays; but tho Agricultural Wholesale Society lias already envisaged tho likelihood of coming to own ships. The zeul tor self ■ organisation among British farmers during the last nine month- is now accelerating at a wholly unprecedented rate.

Of the 250,000 farmers a half will soon be good co-operators, controlling great and accumulating funds. They are themselves on the point of absorbing' the trade in the. by-products of their industry. We shall soon be buying the striugs for our tennis rackets from farmers; and they will be supplying themselves with their own fertilisers. Already they have made mutual agreements with tho Rhodesian farmers from whom they will receive maize and other feeding stuffs, ami to whom they will return seed. They are establishing a factory for making corn bags as far off as Bombay, "where the jute come- from."

They arc about to establish their own schools for training managers for th-ir co-operative societies. The amazing succeed this year of the Preston branch has opened their eyes to the value of the skilful manager; and. what is more, persuaded farmers thut his brains are worth good money. There is already a fine opening for capable young men on the managerial side of these farmers' societies which are being formed almost daily, and in<re:tse marvellously ia size.

Those things arc not dreams of vague ambitions* The definite steps are being taken; and if farmers know their own interests, producers in the home countries which are the most backward, will follow the lead of the rest of England. Consumers will be sympathetic. If they can buy, as near as may be, direct from the farms, and the farmers can produce cheaply because they will cut out middlemen r s fees, food will do down ia price. Otherwise not.

A big essential social change is proceeding at a rate that astonishes even the dreamers.