MAN ON THE LAND

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 107, 8 May 1944, Page 3

MAN ON THE LAND

FARMING PROBLEMS MR. HOLLAND'S TOUR "I have been greatly encouraged at the splendid response to my appeals for increased production," said the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. S. G. Holland) today. Mr. Holland returned to Wellington on Saturday night after a comprehensive tour of Hawke's Bay, Waikato, Auckland and North Auckland. His tour began at Napier and went as' far north as Houhora, which is further north, than Kaitaia. In all, Mr. Holland addressed 41 separate meetings in three and' a half weeks, and all were largely attended. "I approached the problem," said Mr. Holland,: "from the point of view of Britain's peril rather than from the, more local or narrow view of local politics, subsidies, bonuses, etc.; and everywhere I found primary producers only too anxious to help Britain by producing the maximum ef which they were capable. Everywhere ' I went, farmers said they wanted a lead from someone in authority as to the best way of helping Britain. "As an instance, one farmer wanted to know whether it would be helping Britain if he killed his lambs now, at 341b weight, or kept them till they were 441b, at which the price falls steeply. Another typical example was an inquiry as to whether the farmer would be doing" the best war effort by growing linen flax or wheat. "What is badly needed is a local plan to be handled by the primary production councils, in which a system of targets for different commodities, and a list of priorities, is laid down for the guidance of the primary production councils and farmers. THE GUMBOOT PROBLEM. "As I moved further north," said Mr. Holland, "the problems changed considerably. The burning question up there is gumboots, and no words will solve the problem or give the necessary relief. I personally investigated several instances where women are actually working. on dairy farms in bare feet. Ordinary boots are useless, and gumboots are in many instances unprocurable. What the Government ought to do is to give anyone who can procure gumboots an absolutely free hand to do so. Gumboots are just as essential to the dairy industry as a lathe is to an engineer. You just cannot get more dairy production unless an ample and continuous supply of gumboots is assured. Many farmers urged "that until ample supplies are available, the assistance of the dairy factories should be sought to ensure equitable distribution. "Man-power is a burning question, and it is not merely a matter of taking men out of the Army on to the farms. In many instances it goes back two years, when so many men were taken off the farms into the Services. One producer told me he regularly turned off over one thousand baconer pigs each year, but he lost all his men, and now he turns off none. He would gladly turn to again, but has no breeding stock. "Most farmers will need to have the right to nominate men in the Army for their farms, as accommodation is a burning question, and it is not practicable to send a strange man to share accommodation with the farmer's family." ■ ' ■ i TYPES OF FERTILISER. Another burning question, said Mr. Holland, was fertiliser. Whatever might be said about the merits of serpentine super, it was a fact, nevertheless, that a very large proportion of farmers would much prefer to be supplied with straight super, so they could do their own mixing. He had met quite a few farmers who liked serpentine super, but the overwhelming majority preferred straight super and their own. mixing. "I made it my business to see as much as possible for myself," said Mr. Holland, "and one morning I was up at a quarter to five to see a farmer and his wife, who, incidentally, had three young children, hard at work, and half their herd of 90 cows were milked long before daylight. The mother had no help in the home, and after milking had to prepare breakfast and then cut lunches for school. ."There is no doubt these dairy farmers are doing a magnificent job and are deserving of the greatest praise. In many cases they are without electricity and other amenities, which in town are regarded as absolutely essential. "I also took advantage of the opportunity of looking over a number of factories in both town and country, and was much impressed by the standard of efficiency displayed. Every towndweller should, if possible, make a visit to a milking shed and a freezing works, and I doubt whether he would ever again complain of his lot. "I was very frequently asked for information about profit-sharing schemes, and at one centre met a number of timber workers, with whom I discussed profitrsharing for over two hours. DISCUSSIONS WITH MR. SULLIVAN. "I received innumerable representations about such matters as man-power releases from the Army, fertiliser supplies, bobby calf levies, heifer calf subsidies, gumboots, and the like, and these will toe the subject of representations to the Government. I had frequent long-distance discussions with the Acting Prime Minister (Mr. Sullivan), who, /I am bound to say, was most anxious to be kept fully informed. On a number of occasions we were able to get quick decisions on problems on wjrich I had made representations to him." Northland's reputation of being the Winterless North was hardly lived up to during Mr. Holland's tour, as it rained every day and every night he was there. Mr. Holland was shown over large areas of land suitable for soldier settlement, but he said proper planning was essential, and supervision by practical men with local knowledge must be provided. It was .impossible, he said, to settle men on the land in Northland by making decisions from a Wellington office, and no one else but the local farmer had the necessary practical knowledge.