THE FARMERS’ PROBLEMS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 21, 16 April 1927, Page 18 (Supplement)

THE FARMERS’ PROBLEMS

Deliberations of Recent Conference REDUCTION OF VALUES NEEDED

Vor reference purposes, the speeches of delegates at the Lands Settlement Conference, held on Wednesday last, (writes a farmer) can be almost divided into two sections, those who uttered time-worn platform platitudes, and those labouring under a perpetual grouch, who were plainly abusive. The attitude of certain members of the Auckland Provincial Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union was particularly disappointing, in the fact that while they could only throw cold water on the delegates’ deliberations, they could offer no helpful or constructive suggestions. Out of all the assembled delegates, only two came near to touching on anything which would help to alleviate the present distress. Delegates had talked wildly about killing the pessimists, said Mr. J. E. Makgill, chairman of directors of the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company, Ltd. Such talk was only playing into the hands of the undertaker. It was not pessimism to face facts, and, to him, it seemed a question not so much of developing fresh lands, but of in-

creasing production on the country under occupation at the present time. During the past year 25,000 acres had gone out of occupation, representing tMe holdings of 234 settlors. Many other settlers were known to be labouring under financial difficulties, which prevented them farming to the best advantage. The Government should keep a record of all poorly--1 armed, partially improved areas, and any holder who found his property too cumbersome to handle with the means at his disposal should be able to sell a portion of it to the Crown, and an other man placed on it on terms which would give the newcomer a chance of i success. Every effort should he made i to secure peak production from pre- j sent partially improved lands be far * j anything further was done in regard ] to virgin areas. A PREGNANT SUGGESTION Mr: Makgill, was touching on a big | question. There are certainly large anas of poorly-farmed land in New Zealand, for which the responsibility j in a large number of cases rests upon : the owner. Graduated taxation lias been one of the methods tried for | compelling increased production on j large holdings, but, as yet. nothing except proposals of a socialistic nature have been suggested to deal with small j * U A very debatable argument was ad-

duced by Captain F. Colbeck, a member of the Auckland Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union, to combat one of the most pregnant suggestions of the conference, that of Mr. C. M. Hume, in regard to the possibility of increased production through the prosecution of a progresive policy of herJtesting. Because he had bought five cows at a high price, and “fallen iiin regard to two, he condemned the whole system. Another firmer in like circumstances might reasonably be expected to blame his buying ability. As Mr. Hume pointed out, it was largely due to herd-testing that Denmark, possessing poor, sandy soils, and a climate far from ideal, led the world as a primary producing country. It was a question of organisation, and New Zealanders had done little to improve the quality of their herds. An increase of 101 b a head on the annual average production of New Zealand’s dairy herds would mean an additional £1,000,000 to the country. As there was nothing to prevent the production of our herds being almost doubled,

the great possibilities of the proposal could be realised, CURSE OF OPTIMISM The fact that much of the present, trouble was due to a wave of pessimism which was sweeping over tim land was the argument brought for- j ward by Mr. N. G. Gribble, of Ha.mil- J ton. Such an argument needs little i refutation. It is largely due to the unrestricted optimism of many farmers that they are in distre to-day. spectacles, tliey bought pro* ?rties at fictitious values, giving . .> regard to possibilities of slumps -id hard times ahead. Spurred on » a long period of thing value*, they optimisticallv cor..-: uit nothing could go wrong, and to-da.v even their optimism has deserted them, while dies are left to “carry the baby.” Yet. faced as they are in many cases with insurmountable odds, there are those who would call or. them to be opti mistie. Talk is indeed cheap. There car. only be one effective solution of the present trouble —a willing down of land values. Until that is done, and a policy evolved and brought into operation which will eliminate speculation and check the •>rice of land from rising above its productive value, then all the leagues in the world will be of little avail.