The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News The Echo and The Sun. THURSDAY, MAY 11, 1939. SHEEP FARMING INQUIRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 109, 11 May 1939, Page 10

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

THURSDAY, MAY 11, 1939. SHEEP FARMING INQUIRY.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrong that reeds resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that ire cnn do.

It Ihc sheep fjinncrs arc in ;i l>:i• I pn.-iti-in the whole I ("minion will ld-1 I In- n- tilt. Tin , iiiinrc--mti of townspeople probiilily i.s thai in tin , lii-t- I'i'xv yi'iirs the slii-cp Inrnicrs linxi' liiiil Inii-ly fniiii prices, and that tliei-el'iiiT Ihcii- position shoiild not l>o bad. Thn.-e of them win) I'liitTjjcil I'ltoui 1111? (Icpre.ssiiiii in ;i serimisly wcakcnoil statt , had the opportunity, ami used it, of <;niniti£ relief under the .Mm-Iμ-njrors anil Lessees.' Jicliabililiil ion Act, ami oilier lejri>liition deviscil for .-.iinihir purpose's. Nevertheless; tlfc (loveriiinrnt recently has been tolil, cinphiiticnlly jiihl in tones of urgency, that the industry is in a most serious plight, so -ciious that it appears that in the near future more farmers will be forced off their I a rms tlinn actually went oil' (lurinjj the slump, ami that those who may be forced off arc not "misfits," but amongst the best of the Dominion's I'tinners. Tins as-i'i-lioti has Im'i-11 challemreil as an o\er--taleiiii'iit, and the (iovefiiiiietit has made the \\ i •<- decision to appoint a Uoyal ('omiui--ioii to make a thorough investigation. It will be, first of all, ji I'aet-iinilinjr and the Government and the public, informed of the degree and extent of the industry's economic burdens, will be in a better position to devise measures of relic , !'. The problem is primarily, though by no means solely, one of costs. Average wool prices during the depression years were lower than at present, but costs al.-o wen; much lower. An example recently given to the Minister of Agriculture was that of a sheep station which in ]9.'J-t-!J."5 .-flowed a profit of about £2000. in HKJT-.'W, though its total receipts were about the siiiito as in 3!);J4-:r,, it showed a loss of X.HH). It was a South Island "high country ,, station, and it is from the "high country" that the appeal for relief has come most strongly. Thorp, it is admitted, other factors besides costs enter into the problem, part ieularly the effects of land deterioration and erosion, for which it is possible that only a radical treatment will be successful. Jt will bo recalled that the last major inquiry into a primary industry was conducted by the Dairy Commission in HW4. It occupied six months. If. a similar period is taken by the commission now to be appointed the sheep men are not likely to receive State aid this year. But the most valuable service the commission is likely to give is a demonstration that this problem is not one to be solved merely by giving State money to farmers.