The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1918. FARMERS’ UNION CONFERENCE

Taihape Daily Times, 15 May 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1918. FARMERS’ UNION CONFERENCE

(With which is incorporated The Taihape Post and Walcrasiao News).,

This month the farmers of the Wellington Provincial District are to hold their annual conference; Tcrnihs; or subjects for discussion, received from the various branches of the Farmers ’ Union have been printed and circulated, and to assist in their publicity amongst this district’s farming community they were published in yesterday’s issue of this journal. In the past these annual conferences have been productive of much good, hot only to farmers, but to the whole Dominion What legitimately increases the earnings of the farmer adds to, the national income; for that reason there is cause for joy rather than jealousy amongst all classes of our people. The general reader will probably find among the subjects for the conference to discuss sonic that he may consider would have been better left out, but it must be understood that these subjects have been supplied by the various branches of the Farmers’ Union and not by any special body or committee appointed for the purpose. It would indeed bo surprising if nothing but the most desirable and essential matters were selected, but this year’s remits are quite of as good and useful a character as those submitted in previous years. Past Conferences, have been most exacting and discriminating and have almost invariably rejected all those proposals that if carried and put into force would have been detrimental to the country’s best interests. Another attempt is being made to make the Union into a political organisation, this is regrettable for it has been disclosed on similar occasions that farmers have an objection to being dragged at any political coat-tails. It would be much more creditable to those who want a farmers’ political organisation to form a separate body, rather than attempt the dangerous process of dragooning all members of the Farmer’s Union into supporting political party shibboleths. The Farmers’Union in its present form is acceptable to all classes of the community and it is admired by most. The trading institutions it has initiated and instituted have cheapened most farm requisites, and the various farmers’ organisations such as dairy companies have added very much to increased production; they have undeniably been making “two blades of grass to grow where one was wont ” It seems to us that the most pressing and vital improvements, that which is of supreme concern to farmers, is that which will very rapidly increase the number of men engaged in farming. The farmer in his present condition has a veritable skeleton in his cupboard. Tho Union may be made into a political oiganisation, it mav be cozened into linking up with the Shcepfarmors ’ Federation, but whatever political party the Union associates itself with it w ill no i, be able to avoid" the coming volume of taxation that will be disastrous to many present producers unless commonsenso and practical efforts arc made while there is yet time to increase tho number of shoulders to help in bearing the burden. The safety and success of farmers undoubtedly lies through increased production. Not so much in obtaining a higher price for what is produced, as raising a greater volume at present prices, exCO Pt, of course, in cases whore ho is obviously underpaid, such as in crutchings and some seedy wools. To labour for higher prices rather than increased production is to build card structures that the first puff of price-wind will blow over. To try to make produce prices in New Zealand is attempting

the impossible. Therefore, we arc on a sure foundation in building ior increased production, for advantage is certain whether prices go up or down. It seems regrettable that not one branch of the Union has sent in a remit on this extremely vital aspect of the near future. There is one proposal relating to settlement of returned soldiers, but it goes no further than urging the Land Purchase Board to procure good -hand . ikmx-mity to towns, for cutting U]s into areas of from ten to twenty acre blocks. This is a considerate, J and, we believe- a ,necessary , (proposal if the returned rsoldier question is to be exhaustively -and humanely dealt with; but it will ,not go towards alleviating the . taxation pressure that every sane busi.npsqmgrtjjjkgipws . cannot be avoided. This journal, as all newspapers should be, is deeply interested in the provisions made for the future of primary production, simply because the masses of the people, the whole body politic, are carried on the shoulders of the producer; if the farmer is unduly weakened by crushing taxation, the superstructure must, inevitably, come down. We should be gratified to sec farmers at the coming conference strongly agitating for an aggressive land settlement scheme. After war our debts will involve astounding taxation, and prices are certain to increasingly weaken; New Zealand’s only hope of avoiding a crop of bankruptcies and of semi-starvation, with all the ills and upheavals they may lead to, is "increased production.” Higher prices will not increase the number of burden bearers, but increased production will. The National Government has clearly and emphatically told farmers what they are to expect, what will surely come upon them, and it is a matter for surprise that a remit in that connection has not been sent in for discussion at the conference. New Zealand can be saved from, a period of extreme depression, after the -war, and farmers and farming arc the only means whereby * such a calamity can be avoided. Wo have no manufacturing industries of wide-world import tance to resurrect after munition-, making has gone; we cannot employ .millions, of - men and women -workers in; arts and manufactures' and so tide over the threateningly fatal period; Primary production is very nearly the sum total oT means at our disposal for increasing. lour: earnings to enable us

to pay the interest on our huge liabilities, ’and to find profitable occupation for our diminished working- population. Our -pension liabilities will have to bo met/ they cannot be shirked, and, as tl|c country’s income is from the only source of riches* at our disposal, farmers will have to find the wherewithal. We .hope that this question will qomc up / for consideration and that it will bo exhaustively dealt with. The very utmost will have to be made of land and .of the diminished- man-power at our disposal. ,