Farmers and Exemption

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 244, 23 January 1917, Page 1

Farmers and Exemption

jTO THE EDITOR.']

Mr Ross, the President of the Farmers' Union, is to be congratulated upon bringing forward a subject which, as the war proceeds, will be necessary to be dealt with in some more methodical manner than is the case at present, however far from idealistic his scheme as outlined may be. The farmer does not as a class desire exemption and he looks askance at his fellow farmer who tries to evade service. But in the existing method of calling up and sending men to service indiscriminately chaos is in sight as far as the primary industries are concerned. What is required is some authority which will compel all farm workers, retired, over age, and unfit for active service, male and female, to be at once mobilised and classified, and compelled to work wherever and whenever called upon by the Government; and further a mobilisation of rejected city men available for country work on'those holdings which promise to show a decline in production as a result of depletion of labour for military purposes. The State would need to Bet up local advisory committees with full power in the working of such holdings, and after providing for interest on mortgages, wages, writing off for depreciation of fences, machinery, stock, etc, to set aside a sum of, say, eight per cent as interest due to the holder on his capital value involved, any sum earned over and above eight per cent, plus the first named charges to be spent in returning fertility in the shape of manure, grass, or necessary improvements to keep up the maxium production. In the event of the holding showing a loss, such loss to be borne by the State, and made good by a levy, not from butter or cheese, but from the consolidated fund; or the profits from all holdings worked by the Government above eight per cent pooled and any loss charged against the pooled fund. No objection could be raised by this method of dealing with any. odd cases of loss, as it would be more than counterbalanced by the effect of aggregate production. In the event of mortgages falling due the State to undertake the payment of all such, and charge as advances to settlers. A New Zealand loan for such purpose would probably find success, or if a loan failed for such purpose the State should requisition all profits accruing from any holding the State is working, and invest same for a period in such mortgages. If any shortage is found then make a mass levy upon all landed interests showa profit of more than eight per cent clear of all taxes, such levy to be invested in the loan for renewal of mortgages. As pointing out how our present methods are at loggerheads with commonsense, I will quo'e two cases of which I have been informed. One is a grazier, who is sound and fit with the exception that through accident one leg has a slight limp, ordered to Trentham to do home service, when he should be compelled to look after the interests of the community by attending to the stock of another grazier, who has been called up. The result is that two farms will be doing no. good. In the other case a dairy farmer has been called and is to go to Trentham for home service. He has a herd of cows, while within a stone's throw of his place there is One fit man just over age retired who should be compelled to "buck in." And so on ad infinitum. Another farm close by the last-named has one brother left out of three and no appeal has been made by the ones gone and when the last is called no appeal is going to be made by him but the 100 cows are to be sold and the farm is going to be stocked with young horses. This is going on now because a number are going who will not under any circumstances appeal. If no action is taken to try and work out some scheme at once a serious breakdown will occur within the next few months, when the second division is called up. As far as I am aware there will be a smaller percentage of appeals for total exemption from the 2nd division than from the first I trust that although you do not endorse Mr Ross' scheme in the form it was presented you will keep the matter to the front. I believe that a workable scheme can be initiated and whatever form it takes I am sure Mr Ross and all others with the welfare of the nation at heart will be pleased to support the 3ame. Although this letter is crude and unsatisfactory, if discussion is raised hereby, some little headway made be I made.

Yours &c., J. W. TAYLOR Waitakaruru, Hauraki Plains, 17 th January, 1917.