SMALL FARMERS AND THE LABOUR PARTY

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22108, 2 June 1937, Page 7

SMALL FARMERS AND THE LABOUR PARTY

TO THB EDITOR 0» THB PRESS. Sir.—The letter signed "Clear Title Farmer" is unfortunately typical of the attitude of some farmers towards their less fortunate fellows. If this writer has been as fortunate in money matters as he states, let him be thankful for it, for there are thousands of farmers probably more capable and intelligent than Clear Title Farmer," who during recent years have not only failed to pay off their mortgages, but have had to increase them Instead of reducing their interest they have been able to pay only part, or none at all Your correspondent's jibe at tnese discloses a poverty greater than theirs, and instead of his head sinuses he should be tapping his chest. Many of our

no fault of their own. and, being thus placed, how can the present good prices benefit them? Farms are being mishandled, and the benefits of increased prices are nullified because tho timers operations are being clogged by the socalled Mortgage Adjustment Commission. These Commissions were created by the late Government as an experiment to help farmers who were in financial trouble, but they have proved 8 ghastly failure; and it seems remarkable that the present Government should retain them, seeing that they have already scrapped so many deserving administrative bodies. With private mortgages their procedure has been too erratic to follow, but with the State Advances mortgagor under arrears of interest the policy apparently is to fire him out, or failing that, starve him out. To this end. mainly, it would seem thnt Mortgage Commissions were created. There are farmers on stay orders who are allowed as low as £1 10s without keep for a family of two persons, if not- more. Their position cannot be compared to that of a sustenance man in this or other resorts. Members of the Cabinet do not profess to know everything about farming, and they look for a lead from the farmers themselves. The victims have no organisation, and this disgraceful state of affairs will continue unless the farmers' organisations take the matter up. Perhaps there are more lenders than borrowers in the executives of these, but even so, they follow a short-sighted policy by declining to right thrse wrongs. Let me remind "Clear Title Farmer" that the Government has nnd»rt.Tk"i a bif» <■»' social legislation which cannot be financed without money, among which may be some which he saved by patching old sacks on wet days.—Yours, etc., T.A.S. May 29, 1937. [The State Advances Corporation had no comment to make on this letter.]