Soldiers’ Dairy Farm Rents

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 69, 14 December 1932, Page 11

Soldiers’ Dairy Farm Rents

Sir, —I read the letter written by Mr.' F. H. Cash, and "Crown Tenant’s” comments thereon with great interest. I am glad to see that someone is going to take up the case of returned soldiers trying to' carry on dairying on land bought whenbutterfat was worth 1/3 or more per pound, and with their land valued and rents computed accordingly. Round about Palmerston North, for instance, soldiers, are farming land valued at £t>o to £7O petacre, two acres being required to carry one cow. with butterfat at about half! what it was when the men took up the land—namely, Bld. to 9d. per lb. In conformation of this statement that it is clearly impossible for dairymen in these circumstances to pay their rent out of the income of their farms. I desire to note.] Mr. Bond’s statement recently made at a. Farmers’ Union meeting, as follows:— “Mr. E. O. Bond addressed the meeting' on the plight of the dairy-farmer. Mr. Bond submitted a graph showing the working expenses and receipts from_a 60acre dairy farm purchased at £7O an acre with a deposit of £BOO. Interest on ; mortgage he fixed at 5 per cent., and the capacity of the farm 35 cows at 2801 b. of butterfat each cow and a butterfat price of 9d. a pound. Mr. Bond said that the gross profit from butterfat was £367. and from pigs £52. a gross return of £419. On the other side of the ledger were the following charges: Iterest, £170; rates and insurances. £2O; wages, £52; keep ot' employee, £39; . replacement of stock, £4O; seeds and manure, £35; maintenance and depreciation, £3O; cost of milking plant, £1 i; stock goods, £10; household expenses. £l5O. The total expenses were £570. compared with the gross return of £419. thus revealing a debit of £l5O. The highest expanse, it would be seen, was interest, which had to be paid in a lump sum.” This statement is correct and in accordance with the experience of all dairymen in the Manawatu district. The Lands Department when appealed to for relief have replied that no reduction can be looked for in rents, but the cases of men's arrears will he dealt with individu-' ally—later. In other words, I take it. the arrears will be wiped off before next election, or a promise to that effect will be made, and the honest chaps who are paying the exhorbitant rents based on £7O an acre will be let rip. Then also will be displayed the usual pre-election interest by the members for the district. It is shameful that men who served in the war are being treated worse than any other class of men in New Zealand during these bad times. Is there no one who will take up their cause and startle the M.P.’s into effort? —I am. etc., SMALL FARMER. December 5.