TO SAVE FARMERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 132, 1 December 1938, Page 8

TO SAVE FARMERS

ACTION BY N.S,W.

DEBTS OVER MILLION

SUCCESSIVE WHEAT FAILURES

(from "The Post's' Representative.}

SYDNEY, November 24.

Special legislation will be brought down in the New South Wales Parliament to benefit debt-burdened wheatgrowers in the south-western districts of the State. The Government, it has been officially stated, has been forced to I take action to save 800 farmers from ruin. These settlers are in the Lake Cargelligo, Hillston, and Rankin Springs districts'. They have had successive crop failures. Their total debts are estimated at over £1,000,000. Some of them owe £4000. Under the new legislation some will abandon their holdings. The Government will buy their equity up to £300. Fifty of the worst cases will be dealt with first. To do this the Farmers' Relief Board will be reconstructed to include representatives of the Treasury and the Lands Department. . The farming areas to be abandoned will be added to the holdings of others to make living areas.

Present holdings run from 1000 to 1800 acres. The Government policy wiil be to increase these areas to 3000 acres. The south-western mallee country has been declared unsuitable for settlement. Many of the failures have been in this type of country. Some of the farmers have lost all equity in their land.

"It is one of the greatest tragedies in land settlement," an official of the Agricultural Department said. "What the Government is doing is an act of grace. It is the result of buying unsuitable land at boom prices against expert advice. When these men went on the land credit was thrown at them. Despite their failures many of the settlers are not keen on getting out, even when money is paid them to quit." Wheat growers are having one 'of their worst years. Apart from low prices and crops that are almost impossible to sell, large areas in the four principal producing States were afflicted by drought during the growing period. Victoria was the worst hit, as shown by the estimate of 13,000,000 bushels for the current harvest, compared with last year's production of 48,000,----000 bushels. A special sum of £500,000 is to be diverted for drought relief from the Federal flour tax fund which is to be raised to provide, a home consumption price. Of that amount, distressed wheat farmers in Victoria are to receive £200,000 and New South Wales, South Australia, and Western Australia will distribute £100,000 each. ____