BRITISH AGRICULTURE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 26 July 1927, Page 5

BRITISH AGRICULTURE.

DEPRESSION IN THE INDUSTRY

AN ECONOMIC PROBLEM

(British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, July 22.

The Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. Stanley Baldwin) devoted his speech in Lincolnshire yesterday exclusively to the agricultural policy of the Government. Referring to criticisms that the policy had encountered, he said it must t>e remembered that the agricultural depression was world-wide. He- dill not know or any country to-day where the situation was considered satisfactory.

In the United States, in Canada, on the Continent, and even in Denmark, the agricultural industry was passing through difficult times. In the United States the Government itself had sought to solve the problem, but it was estimated there were 3,000,000 fewer persons on American farms today than seven years ago. The. country which was perhaps most successfully pulling through was Canada. The experience of these foreign countries, and of the Dominions, was confirmed by the findings of the conference which 'recently sat at. Geneva of agriculturists from all over the world. They reached the conclusion that the depression prevailing arose from the lack of equality between the prices of agricultural products and of manufactured products. Mr. Baldwin mentioned various wavs in which the British Government had helped farmers, and on the question of credits announced that the Government was working out a scheme which it intended to submit to Parliament next year. He could not anticipate the details, but he believed it would render farmers real assistance and give them in that direction added security and added confidence.

The problem of reviving agriculture was economic, and not political, and he dkl not believe the agricultural industry would benefit by schemes for nationalisation and control. He exoressed the opinion that better marketing was- the principal key of the whole situation.