SMALL FARMERS AND THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3012, 24 February 1917, Page 10

SMALL FARMERS AND THE WAR

A NATIONAL QUESTION. Sir,—May I ask the privilege of presenting the view of a ■ small dairy farmer to your readers respecting- the proposal recently made by Mr. J. A. Young, M.P., and mentioned in your leading article today? Have we really como to the moment for meddling with the present farm lands organisation, which has grown out of the practical needs of existing conditions. Tho men who are' engaged working small dairy farms arc for the most part those who by sovero toil and stringent thrift have gained, a foothold on a bit of freehold land to call their own. They aro married men mostly, and owe npt a httlo to the loyal co-operation of-their wives. These women, in thousands, of cases, havo helped with milking, rearing calves, etc., besides household duties, forj years, without/any domestic help,, tuidor most adverse (conditions, and; without wages. Tho.labour on a dairy > farm is never done—sixteen hours a day is the usual thing'in the. season,: 'and sometimes more in these times of scarcity of labour. Can any organising: bureau or committee get any sort ob labour outside .those now employed m' the work to do tho same thing for. tho same money, and also get tho labour of one woman thrown in for nothing? Let any set of practical business mon say -what butter-fat would cost if dairyfarm workers laboured only 44 hours a week at £3 15s—the average of a* watorsider, as published by you rc'cently. It could not be produced for 26. per pound. Now if some thousands of those farms havo to. bo sold, -what safeguards will the Government employ to protect our interests? Assuredly values will fall in tho open market, because buyers will be few and sellers numerous. Would any Government valuer advise a purchase to be made manifestly above ruling market rates:' It has not been my experience. Tho owners' interest would in most cases be wiped out owing to the presence of several mortgages. Nor would present values'compensate a man, tor very often he has worked for several years to pay off the oxpenses of "getting in, such as legal expenses, stamp duties, 8 and 10 per cent, interest on stock mortgages, etc. The "getting a start absorbs much capital which cannot appear in a valuation. . And-, if! you send the present, farmer away, can you replace him with. any labour as efficient or as economical? He is the least etxravagant member of the community,, adding largely to the national surplus by his frugality, having less amusements, dress, and luxuries by far than a city dweller. The.returned | soldiers proposed to take.his place, if-they have any farming experience are mostly former farm hands, iney are doubtless admirable men, hutmanifestly untried as to the responsibilities of an independent venture. Also for the most, part they would have little to lose, while tho Government places the other man's capital at their dis-. posal, generously giving the tried man paper debentures, for his cows and farm. I presume at least these debentures would be convertible into hard cash on the owner's return, to enable him to buy anothv farm on a market where thousands of others will bo oiv a similar quest after the war, with the probability that these men will, be competing with one another as to price and a consequent rise in value. The present proposed "returned soldier." will scoop his debentures as a profit by selling back tho farm to its former owner. Now* Sir, is it not time our New Zealand statesmen distinguished between essential and non-essential industries? Must catastrophe overtake the producers of the national wealth while drinking bars, races, theatres, picture shows, and makers of all kinds of falderals and nick-nacks are vmaintained sapping our national strength? Must farms be given over to men, who, in times of peace, shunned, tho strenuous life of the cow-byre? Will the few thousand men . so obtainable compensate for the national and private losses entailed? If I have.written with some feeling, I wish, the case to be judged in - its national and economic bearing, with just.a word on the undue hardship of the individual. 1. Every married dairy farmer is assisted by his wife. If it is possible to obtain 5000 recruits among these married men the country must lose the services of 5000 practical and interested women. 2. On an average a small dairy farm will cost at least £1000 for owner's interest and stock. Is it a businesslike investment to buy the above-mentioned 5000 farms with .their stock at a cost of at least £5,000,000, placing them in the hands of untried men, who have littlo or nothing to lose? 3. Considering the enormous cost and the comparatively small number of recruits, are not the farmers of more value continuing in. the production of foodstuffs?

"4. It will not solve the land question for the returned soldier, since the men in question must still be provided with land after the war, when those who are forced to sell now at a loss must buy again on a dear market. 6.' The debentures must soon be convertible , into cash. With thanks for your valuable space, giving an opportunity for a very longsuffering class of men to become somewhat articulate,—l am, etc., DAIRY FARMER.