THE PEOPLE'S FORUM

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 221, 19 September 1938, Page 13

THE PEOPLE'S FORUM

From Our Readers To Our Readers FARMING IN ENGLAND AND NEW ZEALAND.

(To the Editor.)

Once again a notable visitor from the Homeland, in the person of Dr. Greenwood, has given this country a supercilious pat on the back, and then, on the strength of what, at the best, must have been a very superficial survey, gone on to be dogmatic about certain alleged weaknesses in our body economic. He was particularly definite about the position of the tanners. Now, for anyone not more than a few months in the country to affirm that the farmers in New Zealand are in a difficult position its an obvious absurdity in view of the fact that many who have lived in Xew Zealand for many years, and who are intimately acquainted with farming, and who, moreover, are in a psoition to know all the relevant facte, hold an entirely different view. What is the position of farming in England, with which country Dr. Greenwood is presumedly comparing Xew Zealand. Production in most main branches is falling. Every year workers leave the land. Every year farmers go out of business. During the last ten years the total agricultural land, arable and grass, has been reduced by 1,000,000 acres— though the decline in arable land has been far greater. The number of farms has been reduced by 29.000. And 142.000 farm workers have left the land. The following is from a recent article: "There are about 1,200,000 people directly engaged in agriculture in Britain, of whom 750,000 are firm workers, and 4.30,000 are farmers. The great majority of the farmers have email farms. There are only 15,000 farms of over 300 acres, while there are 285,000 farms of under 50 acres. The remaining 150,000 farms vary from 50 acres to 300 acres in size. Nearly all the farmers (and not only the smaller farmers) are saddled with debts, jwy high rents or mortgage charges, and are faced with unremunerative prices for produce; while prices for materials— seed, fertilisers, feeding stuffs—increase. Guaranteed prices are absolutely essential for the stability and prosperity of farming. Without them the whole farming industry veers from one line to another . . . quotas and general restriction of imports are no solution of the problem of home farming ... a system is needed—not to restrict imports and create scarcity prices—but to secure an adjustment between imports and home production in meeting the total food requirements of the people." The writer goes on to sum up «s follows: "(a) That the main enemy of British farming is British monopoly capitalism, (b) That such competitor countries as Denmark and Xew Zealand can produce their goods cheaper than we can because they are not saddled with the same high rents and excessive marketing costs, and that we should follow their example, (c) That the effect of quotas is to create high prices, which brin" excess profits to food combines, but only a restricted market for home farmers. And that these high prices include high prices for feeding stuffs, addI . n 8 > . to . the difficulties of the- farmers." And the corrective suggested is- "(1) Higher wages, shorter hours and new houses for the workers; (2) . . . the control of rents; (3) guaranteed pricesand (4) economies in marketing costs at the expense of the big combines." These four requirements for the welfare of the farming community have already been effected in Xew Zealand. JOHX W. THOMPSON*.

has had a day's sport without a very great cost. Should any of his fancies get topped off by a small margin he would receive some return by way of a second dividend. Quite rightly so. At all event* he has sufficient cash to see the day out. In the win and place the same person with his £4 must have two bets instead of one, for if his selection gets topped off by a small margin, lie receives no return, unless backed for a place also. To bet on a place only is most unsportsmanlike and unprofitable. A third horse often finishes well back from the other two, and this is not good picking, and quite unworthy of any return. Half the races gone, and no luck has come his way, Mr. Punter car. sit on the fence or go home. This goes to show that under this system a person requires double the amount of capital to invest. LOOKTXG BACK.