WORKING OF FARMS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 34, 4 November 1937, Page 18

WORKING OF FARMS

Co-operative System Urged The development of co-operative farming in the Dominion was advocated by Mr. W. J. Lyon (Government, Waitemata) in the House of Representatives during the debate on the Imprest Supply Bill. He suggested that such Ji system would automatically solve many of the difficulties of the farmers, including shortages of farm labour. “I would very much like to see the position arise here where groups of farmers would co-operate largely’ in the mechanisation of their farms,” Mr. Lyon said. “I would like to see every farmer enjoying the advantages which come from the full use of all the mechanical equipment which can make life bn the farm so much easier. Certainly a good deal of the farm labour problem would be solved if farmers would organise on co-operative lines.” Mr. Lyon suggested some scheme under which groups of five or six dairyfarmers xvould agree to co-operate and to go to the Government for financial assistance for the mechanisation of their farms on co-operative lines. Under the co-operative system, lie said, the farmer would not work more than 40 hours a week and would be able to give his employees a higher standard of living. If the farming man could be given the benefits of the co-operative system there would be no farm labour problem. Mr. H. S.'S. Kyle (Opposition, Riccarton) invited Mr. Lyons to go to Canterbury during the harvest season to see how far co-operative farming would work and drew a verbal picture of the situation which he said would arise with all the wheat in the province ripening under the influence of a nor’wester within 12 hours or so and farmers finding out that “the other man” had the co-operative reaper and binder. He claimed that it was impossible to compare farming with public works organisation. as Mr. Lyons hail done, and asserted that when the whistles of the Public Works Department were blowing at knocking-off time many farmers' wives were just starting their work.