FARMERS' BURDENS.

Shannon News, 11 December 1923, Page 2

FARMERS' BURDENS.

“BUY RETAIL AND SELL "WHOLESALE.” , " Mr. A. Schmitt, organiser of the Now Zealand Farmers’ Information Bureau, at a meeting of farmers, said that farmers work on 12 to II hours system; they buy their requirements produced by an 8-hour system. They sell wholesale and buy retail. On the top of this unequal trading there are high protective tariffs, both customs and railways, against him. Is it any wonder that the farmer’s earned pound has a purchasing power at the utmost of only 10s? . X 1 Continuing, Mr. Schmitt said tlie higher standard of living, the rush for everything up-to-date, was taxing the full resources of available cash, causing an ever increased tendency_ towards issue of paper currency, which unless checked would assume proportions of of sterling currency ever keeping pace. The iniquitous system of high protective tariffs caused fictitious values and instead of increasing wealth to the farmer was further reducing the values of his 20s, enabling high wages with set hours and little incentive towards highest efficiency for one part of the community. who can pass such charges on until they reach the person who cannot pass it on—i.e., the primary producer. The institution which he (Mr. Schmitt) had initiated and was organising- was out to help the farmer on economic and instructive linos, and the same system was operating all over the United States.