CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 256, 29 October 1942, Page 4

CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS

THE SHEEPFARMER

(To the Editor.)

Mr. J. A. Lee's attack on the sheepfarmers of this country came a,- a surprise, because I thousht ;h at every adult with any intr-hfeence in New Zealand had some idea of the struggle those people have had for some considerable time. To-day while tire financial position is not so acute manv of iho farms are being carried on by one ekierly man often a veteran of the la.n war. Has Mr. Lee any idea \vhn* i- means to be out in all wca!hers : season like the present one --ivir.:r new-born lambs arfel their mothers :rorn untimely death? Does he know how much the country s revenue would be down if the job wa-nt clone? And now the scramble for shearing One man doing the work ot six. Howmuch wages would a wharfie or a coalminer want for a similar job'.' Then, again, the returns from these farms are showing a false profit because little i~ heing spent or, maintenance or wages—in consequence these properties are deprcciatmg. if through some fortunate cin-mmtance some sheepfarmc-rs can be described as wealthy, those men are not saboteurs. Are they not producing meat and wool at anything but a fancy price? There arc many not so usefullv employed. M.W.