FARMER’S DOLEFUL STORY

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 195, 15 May 1922, Page 4

FARMER’S DOLEFUL STORY

“LIVE WITHOUT SPENDING FOR 18 MONTHS” Rangitikei, and the struggle dairy farmers there have had to make ends meet, was the subject of some doleful comment by a farmer from that district in conversation with a “Dominion” reporter yesterday. To hold on, with nothing to spend, and hope for the best, was, he said, the farmer’s only prospect. Every farmer in the Rangitikei district is going back, said the farmer interviewed. Farms are being run at a dead loss, and the smaller men are disappearing. When money was plentiful in tho boom period, during the war, farmers were short-sighted, in that they put too much of their profits into improvements, leaving nothing for the loan period that has succeeded. eduction in Land Values. “Take my own case,” he said. “The valuation of my property, for taxation purposes, has increased 13Q per cent, in eight years. The high basis of valuation has been tho source of most of too complaints. Some time ago, valuers visited the district, and promised that there should be a reduction of ten per cent. The farmers are wearying of waiting for this relief. We are told things will be all right, but how about our taxes, rent, interest, and mortgages? When tho Bank of England presented the London Stock Exchange with an Easter egg. last month, in the shape of a reduction of toe bank rate to the pre-war level of 5 per cent., we thought tho financial improvement would be reflected in New Zealand; hut it appears wo have to wait. The rate of interest is still 8 per cent. The banks will give no further accommodation, in the shape of advances. This applies not only to men that have already been fully accommodated. but also those who h®'’® still a big equity on their holdings, ve are unable to learn anything from tho banks. They sit tight, and say nothing. Aleantime, the big shpepfarmers are toe only ones that can hold on. Rangitikei Farmers. Rangitikei farmers changed over from cheese to butter, said tho farmei, and so far have had no reason actually to regret their steps, while, they are forced to admit that there is nothing left from butter over and above producing costs, at the present state of the Home market. Last August, beptember, and October, dairy farmers had to pay £lB for cows, second and third calf, but prices were now so low, for stock, as well as dairy produce, that the prospects were anything, but good. It was a case of living without spending, for the next eighteen months, and hoping for better times. Wool and Its Burdens. Crossbred wool grown in Rangitikei ranged from very low grade to very good It was true, said this producer, that there had.- been a certain amount of carelessness in preparing the wool for market, and that proper care was not given to sorting, skirting and classing. “It has been said that woolgrowers, in tho period of the commandeer, put bellies and pieces, and anything they could get, into tho fleece, knowing they would get a fixed pxico, and have not yet succeeded in getting out of slipshod methods. Inis is to an extent true. AVe know that improvement is necessary, but it is again a matter of finance. We have to pay 255. per thousand and keep, lor expert classing, and very few farmers, in a small way, can bear extra exPe “lf S the action of the Commonwealth Government, in fixing the land tax on tho basis of too average for the past five years, were followed by New /•ealand.' there would be fewer long fades among the farmers. But lam afiaid there will continue to bo long faces, fer a couple of years at least.