The Minister and the State Farms.

Otago Witness, Issue 2815, 26 February 1908, Page 23

The Minister and the State Farms.

TO THE EDITOR,

Sit:, — I have oeen roadies w.th much a=fopisnirent 'he replies ot the Minister of Land 15 to a modest repoiter aneut the pi' utnblei.ess of State forms in the last issue <~f f*>e \VVne a = Hitherto as a farmer I ahvys thought 'itate firms exists! as models for o1h«" farmers \o follow, and io be abb to show a working profit on each yeai's trar^ac-t-oiis. «o that tl.e Ciown tenant could *nnke up Ins lent, a fair v age for a mself. «nd 11 tcre^i f< r the liiipiox everts he h?d '^ccii uicli'ccd io put on t round nol his own. A'r.*.! it wou'd appear if he gives the State fjrm a look o' "i ho iiiF.j — if high enough — get it feed but if he emulates the style of Iftvmng earned <k, then he must c-sps;t sooner 01 later a note requesting him to show cause why his letise sho'ild not ba foiTeuecl for non-pnyii'ent of ieat So far as can bo made out, State farms have only been mccessfu l m the direction of cauying o 'arming that does not v>ay. It is rather fa'--fet:hed to thron the blame m the absence of se'f-inteiest and such iids. If self-'nt«rest is »ucl- an important factor in successful 'arming, it nust bp galLng to have men. paid to curb their efforts m that dheetion, and very likely men who could not "make salt" at farming tliemsehes

Now, as a farmer, I think those State farms ought to m.ike both ends meet, and show other farmers how to do -o. even when rain won't fall or -when too much of it comes; alse, whec low prices prevail.. Of course, they can bs excused when high prices r^ule, as the flour and other pioduce bill has been manufactured and hung up by a hair, so that it will fall -.+ a momnet's notice jf required.

The wonderful thing is that a big surplus is repoited for the Dominion, but under the direction of the same- men a surplus cannot be announced for a State farm, while ordinaiy farmers have to make both ends- meet at lea&t, or go under. — I am, etc . February 17, FARiir.U.