TOPICS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 16, 20 January 1928, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY

Farmers' political aetiou in Australia and Canada has not been of marked service jto the farmers, and its indirect effects have been bad for the community. Yet the National Farmers' Union of England appears to be contemplating similar action. The annual meeting has instructed the Council to "consider seriously the selecting and supporting of independent agricultural candidates." Farming in Oreat Britain is certainly passing through a difficult period. No one cause can be assigned. Lord Bledisloe, Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of A,gricnjture ; gees three causes; (1) the reduced purchasing power of gold; (JJ) the Argentine meat j warj (3) regulated wages. The second j cause of difficulty >*s .ended; the first will disappear gradually, ewj the third <Lord Bledisloe states) ian be attacked indirectly by raising (the efficiency of labour. The Government proposes to help fiy increasing facilities for long and short term credits; but this cannot be expected to solve the whole problem. Indeed the prime difficulty of the position appears to be that no one remedy can be applied which will meet the requirements of all farmers, and the application of various remedies to aid various sections i« hindered by lack of agreement. A recognised authority on farm management and economics, Captain G. T. Ifntchinson, reviewing the position in "The Times,,'' states: If protection must be regarded as outride practical polities there is no one remedy which can restore prosperity. Many have been suggested, and some have been submitted to a practical test. But not one of them is recognised by the agricultural community a* ft panacea. Changes jn our system of land tenure to give greater security for the tenant, provision of credit facilities for the farmery, more intensive farming on the Continental model, or the other extreme described as "prairie farming "—all have bad their advocates. But experience has .shown tftat farming, on the whole, suffers from, too much rather than 100 little security of tenure; that when a nil v producing at a locus it is useless to provide him with credit to .enable him to lose more; and that in the long run farming methods must conform to the conditions of the country in.which they are practised; Captain Hutchinson holds- that the main aim of ail remedial measures most be U> increase the margin of profit for the producer, and as it is manifestly impossible that any one measure should do this for all sections of farmers the most that can be hoped for it., a series of judicious measures which will help one section at a time. The introduction of such measure* baa been hindered in the past by the destructive criticism of those who would not benefit by the particular form of aid proposed. This can be avoided only hy the farmers themselves. Captai* Hutehinson make* one comment which ha* a direct bearing upon the proposal for political activity. It should be taken to heart also by those New Zealand farmers who are bent upon securing separate political) representation; The policy of exchanging farmers' votes for the promises of Parliamentary candidates has not produced any substantial results, and is not very likely to do so. It is surely better to assume that all political parties desire the improvement ot agricultural conditions, and for the Farmers' Union to constitute itself a really effective intelligence department to initiate, scrutinise, and assist in drafting the best remedial measures. Controversy, he adds, is fatal. If the farmers of England have found how political activity can be pursued without controversy they have made a dis- ] covery unknown in New Zealand or j Australia. j • « * j In a letter which we publish to-day, Mr.'Francis A. Cotterell suggests that the social distinction between professions and crafts could be is part abolished by an alteration in the method of granting free places. ,At present the higher leaving certificate, the "Proficiency," allows the pupil to attend either a high or a technical school; whilo the "Endorsed Competency" gives a free place only at the technical school. The correspondent suggests that for the higher and lower certificates there should be substituted, (two new divisipns™-*ot higher or lower, but different. The aim would be to divide recruit* for the professions and recruits for the crafts. With the principle of the suggestion we can agree. Society has for Ipng been grouping as higher and lower occupations which require equal degrees of ability for success— but different ability. We doubt, however, whether the change proposed by the correspondent would prove an effective remedy. There 5s this objection to it (and this applies also to the present system): that the primary;.

school leaving ago is too soon to begin marked differentiation. Thu bent of the pupil is not always apparent so booh. To correct this is the aim of the junior high school. It would be helpful to haye a statement of how far the junior school fulfijs requirements iv this respect.' » * # ' There may have been reason for Mr. Arnold Bennett's criticism of the Westminster Abbey arrangements for Thomas Hardy's funeral; but it would have been more seemly if such criticism had been tendered privately to the Dean of Westminster. Particularly unfortunate was the reference to the absence of Eoyalty, since it suggested that what was really a question of Court etiquette was governed by considerations of honour and merit. The "Daily Express" defence makes the matter worse, by drawing a distinction between those in the direct service of tlic King, and persons who arc "unknown iv a personal or an official capacity to the Royal Family," Thomas Hardy was not unknown. lie received from the King the Order of Merit, a distinction reserved for persons of tho highest eminence in letters, art, or milir tary service. The interest of the Eoya] Family was further shown when the Prince of Wales made a' special journey to visit Hardy is his cottage borne. The delicacy of this compliment—the young Prince deferring jfco the aged author and poet^-iu itself answers Mr. Bennett's criticism and tjie "Express 's " awkward defence.