FARMERS AND POLITICS.

Evening Star, Issue 19891, 13 June 1928, Page 5

FARMERS AND POLITICS.

to THE EOITOB.

Sir, —State authority imposed so as to press unduly ou any section is immoral. Such a position clearly exists in New Zealand to-day, the exporting section of the primary producers being the victims. The services of farmers to the community are basic. They are like gold in their value, subject to world fluctuations only, and not liable to rise and lull with other local values. In New Zealand they are paid by a “depreciated currency,’' the inflated price at which all other services are sold. Tor instance, it takes about 31b ol butter to buy transport which 11b of butter would buy m 1914. Protection of all non-farming classes has been carried to a vicious extreme. The State has not the right to legislate allround benefits for others at the expense ot primary production. There has been no considerable increase of primary production, either in quantity or value, since 1919. Such increase as there has been is mostly absorbed by increased population. Yet such are the barriers to free interchange of labour, goods, and capital that even such vast improvements in herds and pasture as have more than off-set abandonment of millions of acres, are not enabling the reduced number of farmers to till any but the best and best-situated land. That is bad for farmers and eventually bad for New; Zealand.

Meanwhile, from the common pool of production, ail other classes are deriving increased financial benefit, due to inflation of post-war services. Between 1918 and 1921 the trading and investment classes increased their not assessable incomes 72 per cent. (£19,335,815 to £33,181,460). Between 1923 and 1927. commerce or business, not comparable with previous figures, improved its position 42 per cent. (£ll,158,807 to £15,8-16,612), and investors increased assessable incomes by 41 per cent. (£7,827,437 to £11,062,088). From 1918 to 1921 net assessable incomes of tbo investment class rose from £3,773,616 to. £8,204,120, n nso of 115 per cent, in three years. Salaries, wages, Government and local services, etc., all increased in both periods. There is much food for thought in the tables. Someone must suffer, and the income tax statistics indicate the sufferers. Land owners’ net assessable incomes were £11,886.958 in 1918 and £9,332,777 in 1921. If the figures include any besides fanners’ incomes, it is safe to assert that the drop in farming incomes was more than the £2,500,000 difference. In 1923, when tho income tax was removed, farmers’ assessable incomes totalled £5,263,367, the net amount taxable being less than £1,000,000,

In view of the foregoing, felt more than understood by many farmers, is it any wonder that, despite their wellknown conservatism, they are beginning to seek a remedy in politics,; where alone it can lie found? Improved methods of fanning should help farmers. They have helped the nation, lint hardly suffice to enable fanners to subsist. Co-rclatiou of reward of farming services to other services has to be arrived at somehow.—l am* etc., A. E. Robinson* j Auckland, July 7. \