SMALL FARM SCHEME

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 243, 3 June 1932, Page 7

SMALL FARM SCHEME

CANNOT BE MORE THAN PARTIALLY A SUCCESS FARMER'S CRITICISM OPOTIKI, Monday. Asked what he thoug"ht of the Government's" small farm scheme, Mr. A. Martin, president of the Bay of Plenty brarieh of the NevF Zealand Farmers' Union, stated that he failed to see how it Could be * anything more than a partial success. Ih this distr'icts, for instance, it Would be quite possible to place a few men ott small farms, but in his opihion With very indifferent success. Although he did not doubt that quite a number of families. wbuld be prepared t'o go on to such small holdings, he thought that vefy few farmers could afford to employ them at this time.' As for vegetable growing while the idea was "excellent in theory, if put into practice by several men, thb inevitable result would be the glutting of the Iocal market and a resultant fall in prices with the result that he move would defeat its own ends. With the coming of better times the various families would, in the greater number of cases, wish to return to the towns as being more attractive than countr'y life, especially from the woman's point of view. Reduce Tariffs The only solution that he could see Was for the Government to remove tariffs on neeessary imports, especially those coming from Great Britain and other countries within the Empire. This, Mr. Martin contended, would have the effect of lowering the primary produCer's working eXpenses to such an extent that he would once again be making a reasonable profit. This would have the effect of making farming pursuits vfery much more attractive, and many families of a suitable type (which was a most important point) would as a consfequence, leave the towns for the country. Undoubtedly, there were many such families who were only awaiting the time when they could expect to make farming pay, to leave the town and go ori the land. There was also, at the present time, a difficulty in borrowing money with which to start farming. If those with money to lend knew that there was a reasonable possibility of the venture being a success, this difficulty would also be removed. Prosperity Would Compensate Asked how he would suggest that the Government should make up the loss of revenue ineurred by the removal of tariffs, Mr. Martin advanced the theory that the resulting prosperity of the farmer and, as a natural corollary, the prosperity of the business community, would enable the Government to impose an income tax on both sections without their objection; as each would then be taxed on what he earned. Furth'er he thought that the payment of rates on farm lands for road upkeep should be cancelled, and every use of the roads be made to pay proportionately by means of a petrol tax. By thus decreasing the cost of .farming, and of breaking in new land, the problems of our large areas of und'ev'eloped land would also be solved, for it could then be broken in' and farmed at a reasonable cost.