FARMERS' BURDENS

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 3, 5 January 1922, Page 7

FARMERS' BURDENS

LOW PRICE, HIGH MORTGAGE

VALUER-GENERAL INVESTIGATING. .

The-financial embarrassment of .some mortgagors and farmers in; the Wftikato | and King Country is to be investigated by the Valuer-General (Mr. .FJanagan), who left .Wellington for the North last night for this purpose. Air. Flanagan i will visit Te Awamutu, .Hamilton, Te | Aroha, Mate Mata, and Te Kuiti to gather evidence. ■ This is the outcome of a deputation 1 from the Dairy Farmers' Union which , waited on the Prime Minister early in December. The deputation, which emphasised.the fact that a large percentage of the farmers were in financial difficulties, made proposals embodying the reduction, where neceaeary, of mortgages and of the rates of interest. The Prime Minister, while refusing to admit that the deputation was right" in its statement that "scores of farmers have left their farms," said the problem was an extraordinarily difficult one. Members of the deputation suggested chat a commission should be applied to investigate the position and make the necessary reductions, but the Prime Minister indicated that, he did nof.think this was needed. He was-> prepared; however, to give the services of '.'an experienced officer to assist in bringing about an agreement in cases, where .the mortgagee and the mortgagor are willing to negotiate." With th» proposal the members of the deputation expressed satisfaction, as they said they knew of many cases in which the lender was prepared to make some sacrifice rather than have a farm thrown back on his hands. Accordingly Mr.' Flanagan' hua gone north to investigate.