AFTER WAR PROBLEMS (Concluded)

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 7, Issue 427, 19 November 1918, Page 1

AFTER WAR PROBLEMS (Concluded)

How can we best obtain National Efficiency? ByT. H. Turn, Manure wa, October 24th, 1918. To prove to what extent our farming lands are neglected, I have taken the trouble to tick off the number of Class C reservists (married men with two children) who were returned as agriculturalists—such as farmers, graziers, runholders, sheep farmers, ploughmen, share milkers, farm labourers, fruit growers, gardeners, etc. —and I find that out of 6,477 names, only 1,332 are earning a living as primary producers-r-or just about one in five. By adding the wives and children to the long list of non-producere, it reveals the startling fact that we have in the Auckland province only abont one in twenty of our population following agricultural pursuits. Of course, we have other necessary workers apart from farmers, by way of carpenters, painters, wharf labourers, railway and shipping hands, miners, etc.; but the fact remains that only one in five of our male population are employed on the land, which occupation alone earns about 90 per cent, of the Dominion's export wealth, and I cannot see that any manufacturing industry is of real economic benefit to the Dominion if its output can be imported cheaper than it can be manufactured. 1 conclude, therefore, that at least one-half of our population are of no real economic service to this Dominion; but, on other hand, are, to a great extent, a burden to our settlers and real taxpayers, and the sooner we, who are so dependant upon our exports, effect a radical alteration, and get our agricultural population increased the better. THE FAB HER NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR INCBEASED COST OF LIVING, I am aware that the farmer is looked upon to-day as an exploiterer, and is considered responsible for the existing high prices for food supplies, but I will venture the assertion that, as a whole, they are not making working expenses, and are everywhere being squeezed out of action, while there aae no sections of the community who work harder and live more economically. Our small proportion of producers have, in the past, been unable to carry the financial burdens o! the State, and now, with five or ten millions extra revenue to raise, and no chance of borrowing further large sums outside the Dominion, our economic position is reaching a climax. It is all very well to point to increased banking deposits, and to boast about the big dividends that are paid by various financial organisations, the fact re- ! mains that our farming industry is kept going principally by increasing the mortgages on the land, and this is where the extra moneys paid for food production are absorbed.

The value of our primary productions for the Dominion is roughly £28,000,000, and, by adding onethird for home consumption supplies, we have a total value of about £37,000,000. This represents an average income of about £SOO to each of our agricultural population of 75,000. But against this income must be placed the cost of production to the average farmer. Firstly, there is the interest on mortgages—or the annual rental value of his land. This item we will place at £250 per annum, or half his income. Out of the balance of £250 has to be deducted general working expenses, such as wear and tear on implements, carts, harness, loss of stock etc, repairs to buildings and fences, breakages, etc. These items we will estimate at £75, and will deduct another £SO for top-dressing pastures, and say £SO for taxes (including land tax, super-tax, County and road board rates, special rates, drainage rates, commissions, insurances, etc.) These various amouuts total £425. But we have not included general household expenses, which will have to go down at £75, as unfortunately his income is expended. There is no allowance included for wages, and nothing has been allowed for railway fares, freights, and charges, though probably two-thirds of all our railway revenue is derived through the farming industrycarrying stock, goods, manures, etc., backwards and forward. I have made no allowance, either, for improvements, which is the moat costly and necessary. To put a paddock into grass at the present time it will cost not less than £8 to £lO, per acre, including fencing, ploughing and working, manures, seeds, etc. From the above, it will be seen that the farmer has more burdens to carry than is generally considered, and he is certainly not making the fabulous trofits that many think he is getting He is, in reality, under present conditions, only working hard to make big profits and dividends for other people, and is carrying on only by increasing his own mortgages and liabilities. WILL CO-OPERATION ALONE SAVE THE FARMING INDUSTRY Some advocate the benoiits of co-operation as the farmers' safeguard and cure-all. No doubt combination of forces would assist in many ways, but the farmers (with

only 20 per cent, of voting power) can never expect to gain command of the political, commercial, and industrial situation. He might apparently improve his financial position thereby, but so sure as he gains any material benefit, other influences will demand from him more taxes, increased railway and shipping fares and charges, higher prices for manures, higher wages, and so on. Besides, the social position of the farming communitv are so varied. Amongst them are many wealthy and influential capitalists, and you will observe these are the class generally chosen to represent and control any farmers' concern or organisation. It would be jolly, for instance, to expect these wealthy land-owners to advocate land nationalisation or conscription of wealth. All taxation and the ill-effects of every economic disorder gravitates to the land especially so far as New Zealand is concerned and no power in the world can stop it. As the sea absorbs and purifies foul matter, so the land absorbs and rectifies economic disorders; but the land must be free to work a cure in its appointed way. NO COMPENSATION TO UNPROFITABLE CONCERNS. I have read the recommendation for paying £4,500,000 as compensation to the liquor trade. This suggestion appears to have, at least, something to recommend it; but would it not be infinitely better to apply the said £4,500,000 in developing our natural resources. This sum would fall, grass, fence, build houses, etc., on about a million acres of our present unimproved bush lands; and, allowing two sheep for each acre so improved, and with 10s. per head profit on these sheep, would bring an additional £1,000,000 annually into this country by way of extra export revenue. Take again,. | on tbe same basis of calculation, the £100,000,000 that will probably be required for war purposes, pensions, etc., would bring us in a sum of over £20,000,000 in exports annually, if spent as suggested. It would settle over 100,000 married men—more than double our present producers - on the land, each with 200 acres cleared, grassed, etc., and ready for stocking, with no mortgages when settled under a sound nationalisation system. We could not divert the war money, of course, but we could conscript (as advocated herein) another £100,000,000 for the development of agriculture, and create as much extra revenue thereby as would in a short time pay off our huge war debt, and, further, offer a fair and reasonable solution to the Soldiers' Settlement question. FARMER AND COMMUNITV EXPLOITED. A few illustrations will show how, at the present time, the farmer and community generally are together exploited. The farmer is allowed Is 3d per lb for his wool -equal to say 2s 6d for scoured, while the housewife is charged 10s 6d per lb. for worsted. Four pounds of scoured, or seven to eight pounds of greasy wool, makes material for a suit of clothes, and for this the farmer gets 10s, and the consumer pays from £5 5s upwards for his clothes. Again, the farmer gets from 5s for a calf skin, and up to 30s for the hide of a full-grown beast, while leather (that cost Is 6d before the war) is now sold at 4s 6d per lb, or equal from £6 to £8 per hide. Then again, the farmer gets from 53 to 15s for a good horse hide, an<? pays 30.s for an ordinary pair of boots. He gets from 6s to 7s per cwt. for dried hones, and is charged £lB per ton for honedunt. He is allowed frcin 11 to 5.1 per lb. for beef and mutton, which is sold as high abrcad as Is (id and 2s per lb. The fruit-grower is often paid insufficient to pay his working expenses, while the consumer pays from 3d to 4d per lb. for apples. It certainly appears that this fair land is being methodically strangled, not (as one may think) by German powers, but by faulty economic: arrangements, and the greel and short-sighted policy of on own people. ! Some of our readers have expressed some a'arm le*t Mr Tidd's views upon land nationalisation and the confiscation of wealth are the opinions of the "Times." We hasten to reassure them upon that question. We op9n our columns to the discussion of ;my subject from any point of view, but the! policy and opinions of the paper j itself are only to be found in our | leader columns and editorial j articles.—Editoh. !