THE FARMERS' POSITION.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18920, 8 February 1927, Page 11

THE FARMERS' POSITION.

to tub editor o» thb rnr.ss. Sir,—Almost day by day the writer leads with much pleasure your able articled on tariff and wheat and Hour, etc. I noticed recently that at a meeting of industrialists and members of the Farmers' L'nion it was stated that farm products wero 20 per cent, above pre-war prices, that tho prices of tho secondary industries wero So per cent, above war prices, that tho farmers wore paying 47 to 3D per cent, extra wages, also that tho secondary industries were paying oii per cent, extra wages and 30 per cent, extra lor raw material. I looked to see some ono tuko this subject up. Tho writer is puzzled to know how tho secondary industries can sell at 35 per cent, above pre-war prices when they have to pay about 112 per cent, extra in wages and raw material. One would naturally conio to tho conclusion that they wero all bankrupt or next door to it. The farmer who, it is shown, receives 20 per cent, inoro for his products, and bus to pay out 80 per cent, extra for labour and tho things ho buys, is going bankrupt fast. Personally 1 have been convinced for years past that the Arbitration Court is an obsolete old thing that should bo exterminated. It is tho root cause- of all tho trouble. But does tho producer on tho land get an average of 20 per cent, above prewar prices? I say they do not. Ihcre arc many thousands of fruitgrowers, market gardeners, and ordinary farmers who have to sell their produce at pre-war prices and in somo cases below 1914 prices, and the man who is working for tho award rates of wages is netting far moro money out of whatever ho is employed at than the person cho pavs the wages. And so long as this continues wo shall hare plenty of unemployed. At present the pubic mind is centred on tho wheat and flour, and the potatoes and tho low-ruling prices. Hut the farmer who grows oats and other products is in even a worse position. The advantages of having moro money, more holidays, and moro enjoyment tiro.more every year on tho sido of ho people who\lo not work on tho land.. And at tho secondary schools in Christclmreh there aro 100 who arc taking a commercial or engineering course to every one who is talcing an agricultural course This is a very serious matter in a country like this that depends almost entirely on farm products to maintain tho escorts. There is just the same trouble* in other countries. In »ie US.A. farm products are up about Ao per cent, abovo 1914 prices, but all other things they have to buy are up about 73 to 80 per cent. In the Journal of the Minister for Agriculture for December, 192G, tho agricultural products stand at 4G per ecnt. In both countries the agricultural products are more than double the P"" thev we in this Dominion above the 1914 lei el. You, Sir, advanced in one of your leaders the idea that farm products should be subsidised to meet the high tariffs or words to that effect. This extract from the December number of the American" is on the same lines, and reads: "I.owdeu's plan cndorsed.-Kcprc-sentative.s of SO farm organisations meeting in St. Louis. Mo., on November 18th voted endorsement of farm relief plans outlined by ex-Governor Frank O. Lowden, of Illinois. H»* plan contemplates the application ot tho principles of the American tan.t to basic agricultural products with the object of raising the domestic prices above world market prices. Because o» this championship of the cause of agriculture. Mr Lowden is regarded ns a likclv candidate for President in 19-8. -Yours, etc., f;EORGfiLE£ .