The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. THURSDAY, JULY 21. 1921. A CALL TO THE FARMER.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 172, 21 July 1921, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

THURSDAY, JULY 21. 1921. A CALL TO THE FARMER.

, . for the cause that lacks assistant*, ' Por the icrong that needs resistance, t For the future in the dist.noe, And the good that tee cxm do.

The able address by the retiring president at the annual conference of the Council of Agriculture yesterday may not cover all the facts of the farmer's position to-day, but it contains a good deal of truth plainly expressed. Mr. W. D. Hunt _ one of the ablest of the younger men in public life, and with hie ideas, energy, and business ability he may go far in the political world if his inclinations lie that way. "The farming industry," he told the conference, "is passing through the greatest crisis in ithistory." Wool was selling at prices I lower than had ever been known in the | history of New Zealand —a statement ' that will surprise most people— and beef, mutton, hides, pelts, and tallow were all selling "at extremely unprofitable prices." The producer, Mr. Hunt went on to say, could not alter the price received in the world's markets for his products. He mi—t therefore reduce the cost of production, using the term in its widest sense. It is only fair to the farmer, to whom the townsman is often unfair, to say that Mr. Hunt is justified in his comparison between the ability of* the trader, the manufacturer, and the carrier to pass on increased costs, and the inability of the producer-exporter to do so. The farmer who competes against tbe re6t of the world in the world's markets, cannot get back unnecessary cost of production in his own country. ' _he farmers, therefore, are more interested in the extravagance, waste, and inefficiency we see on every hand than any other section of the community, and it is for the farmers to take the lead in demanding a change." Strictly speaking, the singling out of the farmer may be justified, but we do not know that it is altogether wise. What needs to be hammered into the public mind at all opportunities is that everybody sufferas a result of inefficiency and extravagance—the worker, the trader, the professional man, the farmer, and that the call for efficiency and economy should be to the whole .community. Some people would go further than Mr. Hunt in respect to the solicitude of the Government for the farmers' interests. This is primarily a farmers' Government —a Government of farmers, by farmers, for farmers —and there are times when one has wished that it would hold the scales between the different classes a little more evenly. Mr. Hunt, however, includes the farmers in his indictment of the people of New Zealand for encouraging inefficiency and waste. The Government, he says, has been struggling ever since the war ended against demands for increased expenditure of every kind. We wonder how hard it has struggled; there are degrees of resistance. It may be fairly replied, we think, that the Government has, in many instances, been easily induced to grant these demands, and that it has positively given leads to extravagance. As a whole its financial policy has been —at any rate, until recently—to take the line of least resistance, and apparently it is only the irresistible pressure of events that is compelling it to even suggest that economy has become imperative. But as regards the responsibility of the people as a whole, Mr. Hunt speaks the plain and welcome truth. All classes have clamoured for something, farmers among them. While workers have demanded higher wages, producers have demanded subsidies —and got them. Mr. Massey made an effective answer to his —.tics when he said that some of the members of Parliament . who talked most about economy were among those who were most insistent in requests for government expenditure in their parocular districts. The truth is, with most people economy s excellent only when it affects the other 'ellow. By all means let us cut down Jovernment expenditure—but you must lot touch so-and-so, and so-and-so. It

there is going to be real economy and efficiency in this country, a good many people will have to do without. If Mr. Hunt can persuade farmers to give a lead in such self-sacrifice he will do a great public service. It is of no use a farmer subscribing to the principle of economy and then writing to his member to get a grant which would be spent to better advantage somewhere else. It is of no use his complaining about the demands I of the totwi worker when he himself is content to have the Government fix a | price for butter on the local market j that is higher than the London price. | If farmers could combine to insist on • 1 economy and general business-like i ' methods in Government services, they j could quickly impose their will on j Ministers and Parliament. I'nfortu- I nately business organisation is not a strong point with the average farmer. Our impression is that the reform movement can recruit its greatest strength from the commercial world of the towns, but if the producer will join, the | business man, whose dissatisfaction ! with the Government is growing daily, ! i will be only too pleased. Wherever the . I movement comes from, its promoters • should lose no time. ____________________ :