FARMING PROBLEMS

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 21, 25 July 1927, Page 9

FARMING PROBLEMS

WORLD-WIDE DEPRESSION

HELPING FARMERS AT HOME

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, 22nd- July

The Prime Minister, Mr. Baldwin,' devoted hia Lincolnshire speech yesterday exclusively to the Government's agricultural policy. Referring to cviticism Hiat the policy had encountered, ho said., it must be . remembered that agricultural depression was world-wide. He did not know of 1 any country to-day where the situation was considered satisfactory, lv the United States, in Canada, on the Continent,' and even in Denmark, the agricultural industry was passing through difficult timos. In the United States tho Government itself had sought to solve the problem, but it. was ■estimated that there wero 3,000,----000 fewer- persons on American farms to-day than there were seven years ago. The. country which was, perhaps, moat, successfully pulling through-was Canada. The experience of these foreign countries and of the Dominions was confirmed by the- findings' ol: the conference whifli recently silt, at Geneva of agriculturists from all over the world. They had reached the conclusion that the depression prevailing arose from inequality "between tlio prices of agricultural pvodmMs and of manufactured products.

-Mr. Baldwin mentioned various way.H in which the British Government, had helped farmers, and on the <|iiestion of credits announced that the Government was working out a. scheme which it intended to submit to Parliament next year. 'lie could not anticipate the scheme in detail, lint they believed ii would render farmers real assistance and give them in that direction added security and added confidence. Tho problem ol! reviving agriculture was, lie added, economic, and not political, and liv did not; believe the agricultural industry would benefit by schemes for nationalisation and control, and he, expressed the opinion . that better marketing was (lie principal key of tho whole situation.