The Hawera Star. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1927. PRIMARY PRODUCTION AND POLITICS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 17 December 1927, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1927. PRIMARY PRODUCTION AND POLITICS.

Delivered every evening by 5 o’olock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa. Eltham, Mangatoki. Kaponga, Alton, Hurieyville, Patea, Waverley, Mokoia, Whaltamara, Ohangai, Meremere, Fraser Itoad and Ararata

In the post-sessional address delivered in his own electorate last night, the Minister for Agriculture gave a necessarily brief outline of the work of Parliament during the last session, but he managed within the short time at his disposal to touch upon several matters which farmers were anxious to hear {more about. He made it clear that he j did not share the pessimism of Mr Pol- ] son in regard to the primary production of the country, and as a member of the Cabinet, and as the Minister whose portfolio naturally gives him a know- [ lodge of affairs connected with production second to none in the Government, his opinion is at least worthy of a rcsiJeet equal to the weight given, the statements of the Dominion President of the Farmers’ Union. Where Air Poison blames the Government for the financial stringency of the last twelve months, Air Hawk on shows that overimportation has played a bigger part in making money “tight’’ than the actions of the Government. He attacked

( Mr Poison’s figures in relation to the fluctuations in the products of pastoral lands, and his* explanation in that regard entitles him to the respect of the practical farmer who knows better than anyone how the blame for decreased production should be apportioned. In regard to the much-discussed Arbitration Act Amendment Bill, Mr Hawken was not- able to carry his hearers much further. This Bill has been deferred to enable conferences to be called during the recess in the hope that the employers and the employees will be able to devise some system which will remove some of the burden of production costs from the primary industries’ while at the same time guaranteeing adequate protection to the worker. But the Minister voiced his own belief in the pay-mont-by-results system for primary occupations, and he made it clear that the Government was in earnest in seeking a solution of this very knotty problem through the medium of conferences. It will not be sufficient for delegates to attend those meetings with the purpose of airing their opinions as to what should be done and should not be done. What are required are facts and practical suggestions. Though the question of threshing rates is not of direct interest to this district, the statement made by the Minister thereon was of very high general interest. He said that the wheat growers were finding that the threshing mill workers’ award was making the cost of production so high that farmers were combining to purchase their own threshing plants, and that 'during the Royal Show in Christchurch no fewer than 42 portable mills, Tanging in price from £250 to £650, were sold to farmers. These facts give a very clear' indication as to how heavily the burden is pressing on at least one section of the primary producers. and the determination of the Government to seek relief is comprehensible. The keenest interest was manifested by his hearers in Mr Hawkon's reply to the charges laid against the Government by Mr Poison, of sidetracking the recommendations’ of the rural credits commission. Mr Hawken Was emphatic in declaring that the latest provisions of the Government for advancing money to the man on the land were the most generous in the world. The Rural Credits Act provided for advances up to 80 per cent, on stock and chattels for a wide range of purposes, covering practically all the activities of farming, and he maintained that no other country in the world had so far gone beyond a 50 per cent margin. He explained the differences in the long term and the short term credits, and was able to add the information that during his stay in the electorate he would be glad to be presented with opportunities of meeting farmers and explaining the operations of this Act more fully. The Minister had very good grounds for deprecating, as ho did, the efforts that have been made to pour cold water on this' legislation before it had been put into operation and before the farmers had had an opportunity of understanding it, and, after hearing the case made out for the Act by one who had had a good deal, to do with its framing, many of his hearers felt that his opinion that the new rural credits would win the approval of a. large body of grateful farmers before it had been long in operation was amply justified. I