The Sun 42 WYNDHAM STREET, AUCKLAND TUESDAY, MAY 21, 1929 THE FARMERS’ PARLIAMENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 668, 21 May 1929, Page 8

The Sun 42 WYNDHAM STREET, AUCKLAND TUESDAY, MAY 21, 1929 THE FARMERS’ PARLIAMENT

I ' *rOTtr;'.'*oik ■ - .t."-'t '-t-...C' ct- M-i .- Twlfw-rr rr> - V*r .amytTr r'■ ' - fo-23)d£ttAr Cl '! '■ Fc* *; anna this -Tc; ' ; :• :"- “ : C.' . . 'IE l-C ,r. .tiotiid ta>. tee keenest interes'. is esc ccuiicrcs'ic •wort of tc? AnekLand irases of cbe Xe~ Z-a Farmers’ TTidor. asT.-fc? poii'.ift&i session, as it ~i?i. opened today -with pre-ircdsarv c-videnee f ,f a tiseftil session. A glss'ii at - sefcednle of eonrsretee ~. iaelndiEg it- remits, at once itat titt.‘ or the problems wfaieh eosfrost at. -l disconfccr: tioi-can - c t farmers thronghotit this province direct.” or mdireetly affect evert- otner in dat try and ais . the -whole range of trade ana commerce. It is clear that this parliament of farmers means to ciscnss somethin'? mere than the ancient question, a.svajs more or less exaggerated- " What is srrong with farm .ns * its intention covers a wider Seld than the broad acres of asmeiiiture and extends over into the overcrowded territory of nationa. politics. In other words, the shrewd representatives of six or • er, thousand farmers 'the actna! nttmber does not really matter intend pretty .veil to discuss the inoniem question. "Wsat Ls -vrong with everything: ' Hence the otitstanding importance of the eonferenee and its decisions to almost ore-third of the population and also to others beyond Auckland's provincial boundaries. Many of the remits forwarded for consideration deal with -he leading question in administrative politics—land settlement. It is to be hoped that the assembly of practical fanners will bring the problem out of the rosy mists of political assertion and the fogs of 'heoretica; flnmmery. and set it before the country in the -lark light of common sense. Nobody knows better than working farmers who are not disguised speculators the vital difScrolties -.hat confront this country at the moment in respect of land settlement. There is nothing easier than to declaim optimistically with the Government about making New Zealand greater in agrleuittire than Denmark and a model for the world, but those who see things as they are and not as politicians would like to make them appear, know quite well that it would be stupid folly in existing economic and financial conditions to create artificially by legislation a multitude of small farmers, all loaded with ar. Initial burden of debt. It has often been said that no man is fit to own land until he knows how to look after it. Those without such knowledge may acquire it through experience, but such experience should not necessarily be acquired at the expense of the general taxpayer. Even first-class farmers cannot make much notable headway without capital, and does anyone know these days where cheap money for agricultural development on a profitable basis can be found t What is wanted most today, in addition to free, thorough education so that knowledge of agriculture might be full and widespread throughout the country, is an expert inquiry into the scope for land settlement and the he-' means of achieving the goal of talkative politicians without incurring a grotesque loss. For close on six months now the administrators of the country have been running up and down the land in search of knowledge, but with the exception of one purchase, which was initiated by their predecessors, they have done nothing to make their buoyant scheme of multitudinous small-farming an object lesson in constructive politics. The farmers’ conference should thresh, winnow and sift the rank crop of politicians’ ideas about making New Zealand safe for all sorts of farmers. It may be observed in prospect that one of the remits to eorne before the Auckland farmers’ parliament aims at seeurinsr an exercise of the union’s full strength in a fight against tariff protection. Some farmers desire the abolition of protective customs taxation. They had better follow Tristram Scandy s advice and take heed of what they are about to do. In the South Island the chief aim of the Farmers’ Union is to maintain the generous protection of wheat-growers. There is a lesson there for anti-tariff enthusiasts.