STRAIGHT TALKING.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 88, 14 April 1927, Page 10

STRAIGHT TALKING.

THE FARMER'S HANDICAP.

PROBLEM OF DEAR MONET.

HOW TO INCREASE PRODUCTION

There was some straight talking by farmers at the meeting held in the Town Hall last night, under the auspices of the New Zealand Land Settlement and Development League. Sir Andrew Russell, who presided, invited threeminute speeches from practical men and there was an excellent response. The only formal resolution was one moved by Mr. Earle Yaile, thanking the Minister of Lands for his sympathetic attitude and suggesting that practical farmers as well as economists should be elected to the proposed board of inquiry. Throughout the meeting there was abundant evidence that men of wide experience in land work were taking part in the work of the league and the discussion was of exceptional interest. Mr. J. E. Makgill, of Cambridge, said there could be no denying the fact that times were hard for the farmer. If times were hard, why invite others to share them? The fact that.larger earning powers were possible to a labourer in the cities depleted the country of its labour. The same remark applied to capital. If those facts were to be overcome they must be faced. "We know we have a great country," said Mr. Makgill, '"and we also know that the British character is seen at its best when 'up against it.' Therefore let us face the facts. Last year the total acreage of occupied land went down hv 25.000 and there were 234 fewer settlers on the land. This is a matter for the whole of the community, not merely for those working on the land. (Applause.) The country is now overhead of its production. How is that production to be increased? The first step is to make better use of capital and also better use of the land. Almost every farmer has more land than he can work to the brsi advantage." f Mr. Maksill suggested that the Government should make a register of unoccupied lands in improved areas, so that thev could be made open for settlement. The land should be valued by independent and honest values daughter and "hear hear"), and boards should be appointed to confer with the Commissioner of Crown Lands to settle matters of sub-division and allocation. Herd Testing. Following a speech by an Onewhero farmer who agreed that too much land was disastrous to the farmer, an interesting reference to herd testing was made by Mr. C. M. Hume, of Hamilton. He declared that the average butterfat production of each cow could be raised from 1701b to 2501b, and in five years' time it ought to be possible to raise the figure to 5001b. (Hear hear.) Every 101b | increase means £1.000,000 for the country, said Mr. Hume. The Govern"wait should be urged to grant a subsidy

for a system of group herd testing. The example of Denmark showed what could be done in this direction. Mr. S. E. Wright, secretary of the Auckland Employers' Association, said lads from the city should be induced to go on the land, but they must have a reasonable prospect of securing their own farms later on. Mr. J. H. Hayward (Whamrarei) said gum lands such as those which had been successfully developed by the Government at £15 an acre could not be worked profitably with butterfat at a shilling per lb. ' Dear money was the problem: farmers who were paying 5 per cent for their money were making only three or four per cent with it. Income Tax Revision. Mr. E. A. Ransom, M.P., suggested that institutions and private individuals who lent money to farmers at from 3 to 5£ per cent should be relieved of income tax. Lending institutions which were now paying the maximum rate of tax, namely, 4/6 in the £, would make as good a net return. The loss of revenue to the Government would not be great if income tax was more fairly imposed. There were 33 farmers in Hawke's Bay and the Wairarapa who in 1924-5 saved an average of £3710 through exemption. Sir Andrew Russell declared in his opening speech, that increased production would lead to the use of areas at present vacant and it would lower overhead costs, but not reduce the level of wages. The farmer was at present lighting an up-hill battle. One of his greatest needs was cheaper money and this should be possible in all cases where the security was sound. (Applause.) If the prosperity of primary industries could be assured, secondary industries would have a sound basis. Mr. X. G. Gribble made an appeal for a spirit of greater optimism. " Pessimism is poisoning the country," he declared. Mr. E. A. Ransom. M.P.. said if a proper system of Imperial settlement for New Zealand were evolved, it would give Dominion products the best of all advertisements at Home.