FARMERS' PROBLEMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 115, 17 May 1932, Page 5

FARMERS' PROBLEMS.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

OVER 100 MEMBERS ATTEND

LARGE NUMBER OF REMITS,

Well over 100 farmers from all parts of the Auckland Province met at the annual conference of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, which was opened in Wright's Buildings this morning. The conference, which will sit for three sessions each day, will end or. Friday. Over 200 remits are to be dealt with.

The deputy-Mayor, Mr. A. J. Entrican, opened the conference in the absence of the Mayor.

"The farmers have a big advantage over city men —they have more time to think," said Mr. Entrican. "I would like to congratulate the farmers of the province on the fact that you have as Governor-General a man who is a practical farmer and whose sympathies arc all with the farmer. You also have a Government in power with many members who are sympathetic with the farmer. It is recognised that any development which will increase wealth at present will come from the soil."

Mr. Entrieai' said he lielieved that they could look forward with great faith and confidence. Jn a short time they would be able to look back and say that though the hard times had relieved them of their wealth, the character and stamina of the people had been enhanced.

Appreciative reference to the deputyMayor's remarks was made by Mr. A. A. Ross, president of the union. "The same causes underlie the city's problems as the country's, and Uie Same remedies will apply," said Mr. Ross. "It is essential that both town and country should arrive at a common understanding of these problems." " Lived in Fool's Paradise."

"I do not think that the provincial j conference has ever met under more serious conditions for the farming community and for the Dominion as a whole than are being experienced at the present moment," said Mr. Ross, in delivering his presidential address. Mr. Ross said that compared with those of the present day the overwhelming problems of the past faded into insignificance. The hope held a year ago that the trouble was a passing phase was now known to be a delusion and it was felt that as no early adjustment could be expected from outside, the only sane course was, as speedily as possible, to make their own arrangements to meet the changed conditions. "It is a thousand pities," lie added, "that we have to do this when we are right in the middle of the trouble. Many of us took the stand years ago that we were living in a fool's paradise, piling up liabilities to the limit, acting the spendthrift, and leaving no margin for contingencies which were bound to overtake us. Had due precautions been taken in timo the Dominion could have met her troubles with very little dislocation. We could have made the required adjustments, and by now could have been well on the way to recovery. But our warnings went unheeded. We were called pessimists and Jeremiahs for our pains. What we have forecasted lias come to pass, only on a much greater scale than we anticipated, for we did not envisage the general fall in values which has taken place. But even yet, although the trouble has been all around us for some years, there have been no adjustments made except under absolute compulsion."

Politicians and Palliatives. The president said politicians Lad been dealing in palliatives, and under that policy substance had been dissipated and the country allowed to sink deeper and deeper into the mire. New Zealand was still waiting for firm foundations from which it could climb to a better state of affairs. In that connection the conference had a great opportunity and great responsibility. Sand Drift Menace.

A remit was carried drawing attention to the sand drift problem, and requesting that action be taken immediately, in view of the fact that good farming lands and roads were threatened with the menace. The remit suggested that the unemployed l>e placed on the work. Mr. G. Hodgson (Kaitai) said that in the North about £300,000 had been spent in draining a large swamp, and that sand drift had threatened to undo all the good work that had been done. It had been found necessary to remove homesteads, and detours were necessary because roads had been covered.

A delegate pointed out that the men of the Aka Aka camp were to be shifted to sandhills at the Waikato Heads planting marram grass. The Government appeared to have realised the danger of sand drift.