WAR AND THE LAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 July 1915, Page 6

WAR AND THE LAND.

IDXHiTI'.'X 'I :X XK\Y XKAI.AXU tiik I'AI;.\IKI:. lii liis :tWar- - - tii !;r tie' i\ri'eil ,-it t!:<■ iMIIIIIiII I!l lillill i. ,11 ( i,:it'erclH'e to-lhly, ti If |>J I'-idi'llt 1)1' ! XrYV XiM]^ii!. 11' a: llli-l's' I llji'll ('*■:' J .M.I • < T> ilMlll) j.siy.». illtlT 1 fillil Ul.lt- >*;: IV a-i • s exported from ] :i.ln-r 1 til ,\iay ;;! in the !a..| Vl) \ears to It- ,-i, 111! iii. Tlit-y ale taken ti i>;m tin- hili■-! :11■ I ha.l the li l: v.lii-n li.liking ii,;,. la'. a!i ji.-t'L: - l"i:l I-I-- Niinibr. i,f >ll anii-i"s. -m ami part two utll'-i-, -ay ."ili; heel', ![:;/> I-'; ii ',! tuti, I.t>7■ i.'! : hiiii!>, 2.:!l-';.l II; total, :i,li I",•">-!•'!. l!'l M'-il-a: Number of steam.">2 and part - others, say lice:. WJWI: nmil"!", 1 i-'iS.II!); lamb. l.tttM.. '•'•4-: total. i Tutal capacity of >ti aniiT* in l'.il Mr.. 5.25U,4"i1. In thr-i- 1-yiir-■ tin- ( |iiartcrs of bed' rt-:'ii .-e t" ti»' .-hrc.i weights, Ynu «ili pern-i\r thai tile tutal shipped in tii- last >ca ■;u was greater in tlle-e iii'■ iiiiis than :i: li'l.'Mlill. ijitt tiiat there ai'r aiiuiit lambs short in tlic last sra-nii: but the ((iiartcrs of beef lII'I' ilia;-!) im-i'.-a.-ed. anil this makes tile tn!al nninbi-;- look larger. The earlier steamers could nut yet a lull load, and tli'. la lit steamers emild not take the quantity oll'.-n',!. and th":» caused a block. I lii- bill'i w.is I'l-aMv in. stoie and eonld 111.1 In- .-ai]ij,|.,|. At tile pre-ont moment it. i- estimated (here are two million <-.'ii'ea-e. in store. I he I l ie:i;ier .-tati-d in the House that \\'e sliail ha\e Ih■ - ships, and I ji'ive the T eiyaeity iin cabases: . -Inly - 1 liilrai):i: a'i, 1t:,'!.1. I; <lpa\va. ibJ.'IIHJ; Tlemuera, Ili7,0l):': !17.W>0; Atlienic. lihS.Slli): I . lllama, !!0.o:i0: Delphi ■, '11"(» 4I|II: Waiwera, Sii.tlOU: ('erintliiv. Ititi r.i'n'i; Somerset.. Ml,701): liuliapura, l-JO.iral. August—Taimii, mill; Unahine, MU.CIiI); Otakj, 1 (12.200; Waiiiiiile. 120,1K1!.i. Sept ember. -I I n I'll 1111 i. 1OOl); Kumara, KfMiM: loiiir. )i:;i..-,lM); Matatua, !>>.88!): Uetoniiii. li:7i>:;:) : Wlni I;atane, 7i),i)oil; Wliakaiiia, lliH.oiil); Xiwani. llo.OOO; I'a » ke's Day, I'iii.ono. October—Rimutaka, I)) 000; Kaikoura, ll)O.o(M): Orari. 102,400; Tiirakina. Hi.VlOl); Arawa. O'liO; Karamea. SO.100; Kan<;atiia, lOli,■'100; 'Jfainiiri, !l''.4iio; Star of Australia, 7:1,000; Star of India. 408,000; Muritai ioo.joo; total. ;:,(iii,!ioy.

'I his would lt'Hll one to expect that t:>r stole.-! .will cmptv at the end of October. but it does not get rid of tlie fact that there are heavy losses being sustained at the present moment, and I am sure that every one cri us would do everything possible to alleviate that loss, yet I do not know what more could have been done >by all concerned, and we must, to quote the .bill oi lading clause. ;>iit it down to an "act of Coil"" [ cannrt help thinking, however, that when the whole circumstances of Die case are reviewed dispassionately the verdict will be that we have come out on the whole very well. .Some have lost; but a much .'..cater number luve gained, and we have created a record of exports owing t.) tin' high iprices obtained lor our produce. U h'.le the world is allaine. we art going about our ordinary avocations and holding our usual conferences, the seas being kept clear of our enemies;, except for a few submarines, by Britain's wonderful Xavy. As the Army marches on its stomach, the farmers at this end arc necessary to the men in the trenches, and it is the farmer's duty at all liaza».ls and without thought of reward to devote his land to such purpose as will turn out the greatest amount of produie. and from what 1 l;iww of the farmers of Xew Zealand I am sure they are determined to do their share. I have si, far dealt with tlie past in connection with the war, but before touching upon the future of thin question, I should liki to say a word or two upon wheat and oats.

This last *ea»on tlie wheat area exceeded the previuos year by -23.000 acres. This year it is possible thai, -240,000 aeivs nay 'be in wheat. Our average wheat crop is round about. 30 'bushels to the aeie, which would give us 7,200,000 bushel:-. and this would leave a certain amount 'for export. The figures so fur at our disposal show tllat there is a shortage of oats this .year, but how much the statistician is not yet able to tell us. The area in oats has also been gradually decreasing.

From what I have seen of the quantity of chaff cut and from various accounts in different localities. I think much more h;ii been cut up into chaff than has been slated in tlie returns. In many cases that I know of personally, the crop which has been actually threshed has ibeen sold as chaff. A very peculiar state of affairs lias arisen in connection v. ith this. The wheat straw has practically all been cut into chaff and has found a ready sale, orders coming in Tor it fiom Australia, as well as for straw and sheaf chad'. All this bulky cargo caused a block in the South, which the usual steamers have not been able to cope with, and there arc practically no boats to charter. WOOL.

\\ oo!-growers have had a great year better than ever I can remember—and it is gratifying to see that those who have got their returns are giving freely to tile various relief funds which are being asked for. 1 think that generally the feeling is that much of the surplus should go" in this direction. Much 'wool has, however, been hung up in the London docks owing to the inability to get it unloaded, and returns for wool -wiiifli was sent off in the early part of the year are not yet to hi;nd. At the same time, it must be remembered that additional taxation is certain to be imposed, and many clamor that it should J>e paid through land and income tax. I am, however, certain that, while deprecating a class tax, everyone should pay their share.

wir.Yixn, As fiir as dairying is concerned tliia has been a remarkable year. Cheese factories have received 11 iiii<-ard-of -prices, which wtill continue. 'Butter, too, has feieheil good pr.ices, but not comparable willi the'profits on cheese. .Many think that most of onr milk will in the near future he converted into cheese instead of hntter. The abnormal prices for the former cannot, of course, last, and when th.- war is over and prices down to normal, T cannot help thinking there will I).' plenty of butter made. Home separation is impossible in the c-a?e of cheese, and the price for 'butter-fat is inducing a great many to keep rows and deliver cream to factories instead of taking milk to creameries, and although so pood a sanrnle can never be made, the sterilising of the cream has enabled makers to turn out- a food article, if not a -prize one. -Mr. C'uddie is recommending that cream so delivered should l>o graded and paid for according to grade. It is found in almost every case where there arc a number of suppliers that some are more careless t ! >,i 11 others, and who are often semlim: : n inferior cream and thcieby l.i-,verii:<r the grade of the made article. The only permanent way to improve the miahtv In such ca-es is to pnv le-., fur it. (iriidiiur, however, ctd only 'ln- done when a'l the factories and buyers enter into an ii;n-.-me:it not. to take am cream which 11been rejected elsewhere. WZI-.X JIRAT. Mt l --- v l ' t'-i- ;n ' 11,11 number ef -iieeti I

for granted—until we sec otherwise--that our produce can be carried to its destination tin- enemy's submarines and navy. While tin' war lasts the <•<.ntr;i;t with the liritish •Ilovcninieiit v.i 1 continue, and the arrangement for tlie -carriage of our meat is made hetu con tlu' iliritish Oovoriinient awl the shipowners. Ah a special freight is now being paid for l iv tlii* Hoard of Trade IVr tlii' carriage of our nu"it, I presume tin: contract entered into between the freezing i.'oni|ianii's an • tlu' .-hipping onm]iiinit's in at ail end. We have contantly been told that we laust not rush the ina r l<ei. hut teed it properly all the year round. With our present capacity and when all tlie now storago is provided, we shall have enough space to Jiilil three and a-half million canases. rWc may expect a total oxport of about 7,000 (Mil) carcases (including beef redueed to lilll'b, sheep carcase-), so that we will have storage capacity for about half our output.

\\"ilK AT -AND IR'EKIHTS. It is feared by some. too. that if we have a large quantity of wheat for export freights will be prohibitive, and will act as a deterrent to the growing of this cereal. This is to my mind a more di'.llicult question than that of frozen meat. There is 110 certainty as to how much space is .wanted. Contracts, therefore, are not usual. The result ha-, been that when this ■cargo is offering in any quantity shipowners have the exporters a.t their mercy, unless other vessels can be chartered. Farmers as a rule sell their wheat, but of course tile price is gauged by London prices, 1 es:• i'leight ami (profit. Hitherto nn complied action has been taken in this matter like the contract for freights in meat and dairy produce. The question, then, is, will the farmers combine and offer to ship 011 business lines? It is necessary that a proper business proposal he placed 'before those having control of shipping, or failing them, to thou- who are in a position to charter ships. It. would be almost useless just now to cull for tenders, as out whole trade is in such an uncertain position, let us try to solve the problem through the ordinary channels of trade, and if this cannot be done or an exorbitant demand made, we ought to take a hand oura solve.*.

LABOR l'O'K HARVEST. One point iin collection with tlie coming ha rvest 1 should like to mention, viz., the supply of labor. In some districts it is fairly certain that scarcity of hands will either unduly prolong the harvest or be the means of considerable loss. lam quite satisfied there are many in town who would assist, hut here again organisation is wanted. The Canterbury cfistrict is likely to feel the want more acutely than others, I am firmly convinced that if in the towns a register -were opened by the branches of the Fanners' Union, there are many who would volunteer to leave their occupation for a while to ?'o into the fields to help to garner the grain, and 1 think tlie -Union should take steps to bring this before the public in town. One matter in coniioctiflji jvitli this I should again like to allude to—it is workmen's cottages in the country. The Act is now a very liberal one, and certainly sliould be taken advantage of. There is no restriction now as to the number of -workmen applying before the Labor Department can purchase land for this ptirp«so. The limit is noiv £2-!>0 for land and £f>ftf) for cottage, and it is

eminently desV/able tlwt comfortable cottages should lie provided. A few acres around tlicm would enable the workmen to produce most of the food needed for the family. The Labor Department can supply plans and specifications free and the rent pays off the whole in various periods according to tlie class of home required. A considerable sum 'was appropriated by Parliament, but the war has interfered with the spending of it. Full particulars can he obtained from the Labor Department. The benefit of this system is that the land is freehold and is 'ltoujjht by instalments. I hope members of the I'nion will help workers to heconie freeholders in .this 'way. A'FFOKIvSTATKW.

I should again like to allude to alfor estation. Years are slipping auay and more and nwire of our natural growth is being cut down, and scanty provision is being made to replace it bv planting of tini'ber trees. Most land in settled districts is li,o valuable for planting, and i'- "1! { nee--a-ii'y mean that p anting should eo on in the ea*e or poorrr hinds. I am ijiiite aware that it is not the time to a,! for inerea-ol expenditure, but" at any ia'e a,, a-.k that a sufficient area ■ .!" i.'feior land -uitah'e for plant iah! l.e set il vo l l ' be (lie lied ;v.- emht\v:ue:il Hons. The 'l'rts" \ ;w , , • •oi !J :o -r-i . t u-. ,