FARMERS AND LABOR.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 December 1919, Page 7

FARMERS AND LABOR.

ADDRESS BY MR. G. H. BUCKERIDGE. (Published by Arrangement). With a view to placing before the workers of New Plymouth the position of the farmer and? his relation to labor and labor problems, a meeting was held in the Soldiers' Club recently, under the tfuspicea of the Taranaki Workers' Council, at which Mr. G. H. Buckeridge, provincial organiser for the Taranaki Farmers' Union, gave an address, in which, without speaking officially, he endeavored to set forth a basis upon which both sections of the community could get into proper relationship with each other. There was an attendance of about 50, several farmers being amongst the audience. Mr. Buckeridge was given a very attentive hearing, and the proceedings throughout were marked by the utmost good feeling.

Mr. W. H. Pitzpatrick, who presided, said he hoped the meeting would prove but the forerunner of other such meetings, whereby all the workers would be able to come to an amicable understanding on matters which affected them aIL There were changes coming all over the world, in some cases by means of revolution, but he hoped the changes looked for in New Zealand would be brought about by peaceable means and that there would come a civilisation based upon justice. Mr. Buckeridge, who was very well received, prefaced his address by remark* ing that his great hope was that from tho meeting there would come a better understanding between all parties. "A good understanding made good friends," he said. He also expressed thanks for the privilege of addressing the workers of New Plymouth. He then proceeded to substantiate his claim to address those present as "fellow-workers" by a recital of many early personal experiences—not without their hardships—in the course of his struggle for existence. Many of these experiences were of days hi the Hawera district 30 years ago, when he worked with a survey party. He had seen the hardships of the backblocks settlers, and was of opinion that toey Were enttiled to every penny they got off their land. This brought him to a consideration of what was referred to as the unearned increment, and he confessed he could not see a solution for what was regarded as au evil in this respect. He gave many instances of ,'armers going into remote districts and carving out homes for themselves and their families, in the course of which process they made physical and material sacrifices, to say nothing of the handicap in regard to educational facilities for their children, and then asked should their farms be sold at a much enhanced value, who could say how much of tho warmer and how much the State was entitled to?

Mr. Buckeridge dealt at some length with the evils arising from trafficking in land, as was practised by many men who Tiad no thought of farming the land, but merely of "getting another kick out of it." He cited cases, within his own knowledge, of farmers carrying as many as nine mortgages, and characterised the system which permitted that sort of thing as a most dangerous one and one for which a remedy should be found with all possible speed and before it was too late.

Mr. Buckeridge then touched on the question of tenure in regard to land settlement. He said there was an inherent love of ownership in Britishers. What he thought was the essential thing, in order for men to do the best work and produce fthe most, was that they should be satisfied, and if by giving men what they called the freehold of land they would be more satisfied then he said "For God's sake give them the freehold." The full productivity of the land would never be reached while Che men who worked it were dissatisfied.

I ■ Passing from this Mr. Buckeridge proceeded to advocate the establishment of agricultural or co-operative banks as a means for assisting settlement, and quoted the experiences of settlers in countries much less favored than New Zealand in which such institutions had been created. He said that an Italian parish priest had given the opinion that the establishment of co-operative banks had done more for the uplift of the people of his parish than the whole teaching of the Church. Recent experience in America also confirmed the usefulness of the cooperative banking system. Mr. BuckerIdge then proceeded to develop co-opera-tive theory in the direction of applying It to all work. In regard to farming in particular he advocated that the profits of the industry should be divisible between those who in any way handled or assisted in the marketing of the produce, as well as those who helped in the actual production. He referred to the history of some of the co-operative concerns in New Zealand, and advocated a very much wider application of the principle. He held that if it was possible to run farms on co-operative lines it should also be possible to run manufactures on similar lines, because it was on the ability of the manufacturer to make the goods marketable depended the price of the product. The speaker concluded an interesting address with a reiteration of the hope that a better understanding would remit from the discussion of the topics dealt with. He said in the matter of differences there were three ways of settlement: Firstly, by .discussion and conciliation; secondly, by litigation; and thirdly, by force. Every sane person would prefer the first method. (Applause).

A number of questions were asked. many of which were aimed at determining the exact position of the man who was referred to as the '-non-working farmer." Mr. Buckeridge answered all frankly and to the best of his ability. He said he had yet to meet the "farmer" who was not also a worker. If the questioners referred to men whom they called capitalists, who owned the farms which someone elso worked for them, he pointed out that in very many cases the capital really represented the "storedup" labor of the men, and he held that they Avere entitled to, and must receive, some return upon it, else they could not live. He also pointed out 'that many workers took no financial responsibility, and in the event of loss or misfortune overtaking the farmer, while the worker might lose his work for the time being, the other man lost both his labor and his capital.

At the conclusion, votes of thanks to the speaker and to the chairman were carried with acclamation.