SLOW BUT SURE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 126, 29 May 1937, Page 23

SLOW BUT SURE.

HELP FOR FARMERS IN HUNGARY. BUDAPEST. A new order issued by the Government is expected to bring a considerable improvement "in tli<> situation of the small farmers and householders who acquired tlieir ground through the Land Reform Act after the war. The amortisation debts of about 400,000 families will be reduced by 120,000,000 peiigoS, one-third of the whole sum, which means that each family's debts will be reduced by from £12 to £15 a year. War widows, war invalids and persons who were decorated for merit during the war will receive an extra reduction of 20 per cent, and the interest on the land will be payable in instalments. This measure hac* been an urgent necessity for years, and the Prime Minister's action is acclaimed by all parties. The increase in prices still persists, and foodstuffs such as flour," grease, meat and potatoes are from* 50 "to 100 per cent dearer than last year. The high prices are constantly discussed at meetings of State and city employees, who _ demand that the reduction of salaries, introduced some years sliall be cancelled. * • These reductions amount to from "0 to 50 per cent, and the employees claim that as the economical situation shows an improvement the reductions are no longer _ necessary. One sign of the economical improvement is the rise in export, which readied million pengos in the past two months, an increase of 3(5.1 millions on the export in these months last year. The abolishing of the salary and pension reductions, by which the Budget was balanced, wonid mean welshing the Budget anew with 77 millions, and as vet the Government cannot see its way to do this. The number of State employees amounts to 110,000. while the number of pensioners is 178,000. This anomaly is explained by the fact that mutilated 'Hungary with its population «:f under 9,000,000 is obliged to provide pensions | for the inhabitants of the former great [Hungary.