The Domnion. THURSDAY, JULY 13, 1939. THE POSITION OF THE FARMERS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 244, 13 July 1939, Page 8

The Domnion. THURSDAY, JULY 13, 1939. THE POSITION OF THE FARMERS

The state of mind of those engaged in the fanning industry was well indicated by the president of the Farmers’ Union in his annual address on Tuesday last. Summed up in a few words, it means that the fanning community, taken as a whole, has reached a point at which it feels that its past efforts to secure equitable treatment at the hands of the Government have failed and that it must adopt more active and aggressive measures if it is to secure redress. Much of what Mr. Mulholland had to say was not new. But his facts were admirably presented and his moderation added strength to his contentions.

A good deal has been heard from the ranks of the Government Party of its intention to bring about a more balanced economy. Its efforts in this direction, however, have resulted largely in unbalancing the security of the greatest industry the country possesses and on which the prosperity of all sections mainly depends. Whether intentionally or not the Government has been so concerned to further the interests of the Labour groups in the cities that it has placed a burden of costs on farmers that has made it increasingly difficult for them to profitably work their farms. It is true that everyone has had >to share in some degree in the increased costs of living and of working; but in almost all cases, excepting that of the farmers, there has been some recompense in the way of increased earnings. The farmers have suffered more from the changed conditions brought about by the Government’s policy than anyone else, and they cannot see any hope for betterment the way things are going. Broadly, that is the position as demonstrated by Mr. Mulholland, and as has been made clear by others in recent months. The facts are almost beyond dispute. It has been shown often enough, too, that owing to the constitution of the. Labour Party, dominated as its policy is by the large industrial unions controlled in the cities, country interests must necessarily be relegated to a back place. The members of the Labour Party in Parliament are compelled to carry out' the instructions of the Labour Conference, composed of an overwhelming majority of city representatives. It is largely because of this that farming interests in Parliament today have received so little practical sympathetic consideration from the party now in office. The president of the Fanners’ Union mentioned the suggestion of a Farmers’ Political Party as a possible better way of protecting farming interests than that of farmers associating themselves with existing party organizations. There is no reason to believe that any better results would be achieved by this course. On. the contrary, it would be more likely to lead to a splitting of the forces opposed to the Socialistic policy which is so largely responsible for the position in which the farmers now find themselves. For the moment, the soundest course appears to be to concentrate on the. preparation of the case for the farming industry to be laid before the Royal Commission of Inquiry now about to commence its sittings. It may seem a remote prospect to look for practical results from this inquiry, but it should at any rate serve to concentrate public attention on the vital importance of the outcome of its findings to all sections of the community. To ensure the fullest possible publicity, the sittings of the commission should be open to the Press. It should be insisted that the proceedings should not be held behind closed doors.