THE FARMERS.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20862, 23 May 1933, Page 16

THE FARMERS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PMSSS. Sir, —It will be news to most farmers to learn that Chambers of Commerce are of much benefit to the farming industry. In a reply to a statement by your correspondent, Mr George A. Bruce, an official prominent in farmers' organisations stated that farmers' interests were often promoted by the Chamber of Commerce. He was rather unfortunate in his instance of this, namely, the bulletin on "Winter Feeding," which appeared in "The Press" on May 13. This and other bulletins concerning farming have been prepared by the Lineoln College staff, and are evidently the result of much work and sometimes careful and lengthy experiments. Like Mr Bruce, I fail to see why these should come secondhand to farmers. They would get more attention if sent direct, and besides, it would place the credit where it was due. Farmers have cause to look with suspicion on Chambers of Commerce in general, as many of these are in direct opposition to farming interests. We have only to look back to see what happened when any measure for the relief of farmers was proposed. Take the Mortgagors Relief Act, the reduction of interest, and last the raising of the exchange rate. Had the exchange been raised when Australia raised hers, it is safe to say that the position of our farmers, and consequently of New Zealand itself, would be very different to-day. At the beginning of the slump we were thanking God that we were not Australians, but to-day there is a thankful Australia instead. Australian bankers have expressed surprise at New Zealand failing to get into line with heir exchange. With a handicap of lo per cent, and more in favour of the Australian farmer, both in the export and the intercolonial trade, they were rather curious to know what was to become of the New Zealand farmer Now they know; so do we. Every effort was made by importers and financiers to defeat the exchange proposals, and they have succeeded in delaying them until the benefits are very small; in fact, there is more than a suspicion that the exchange is being interfered with in order to discredit it in farmers eyes, and have it lowered again. A sore point with them was that £nnmnnn go ™? \l put more than £8 000,000 into the farmers' pocket, but they overlooked the fact that it was only putting it back where it came from. The biggest mistake the Chambers of Commerce ever made was in trying to leave the farmer out altogether. This cannot be done In fairness to the Christchurch branch S^ t - m 5 st be « iven f or some good work, and an attempt to work in with ™ J 113 " ° n the land, but this does not apply to many of them Bruce ' s sta tement that t&S 5 10ns - were not representaj!\%f.fa™.»ng interests, they are bet™o*J n 1S * than many othp - r bodies, such as county councils and boards of all sorts not forgetting our own Pa? 3t^ S -° me , members are no doubt worth their place, but too often thev Powe e r S eCt 3 e n d /^ r thdr c °™ersatics powers and by reason of their overinflated self valuation. It seems equally a <m t S.. pud l a good man *n as to keeb 5L t du f ° Ut More than that; the Si 0 ! 3 ™nb eing a member of ont !Sw u° d 7 °/ ten P laces h ™ on another body, for which position he is etc? ' CVen lesS 9 ua lified.~Yo U 5 May 22, 1933. T.A.S.