THE FARMERS’ PLIGHT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 297, 1 December 1928, Page 12

THE FARMERS’ PLIGHT

LONE INDIVIDUALS.

STRUGGLING AGAINST ORGANIS ED CONDITIONS. •

The unsatisfactory conditions which are true of agriculture practically all over the world, and their decidcly poor state in England afforded an interesting topic for Sir Horace Plunkett, who has long been a leader in bringing better living conditions for farmers in the British Isles. Speaking before the Allotments Organisation Society and Small Holders, Ltd., which encourages the taking up of small plots of ground to be worked in co-operation with other occupations, he said that the plight of English farm ers largely springs from the same causes which bring dissatisfaction in American and elsewhere.

“The business of farming as distinct from the industry of farming is in a state of chaos,” said Sir Horace. “The majority of farmers in this country buy everything they require in their industry at retail prices, sell everything they produce at wholesale prices, and borrow money on terms wholly unsuitable to the agricultural industry. The great mistake that farm ers make is that they have not learned the meaning of modern conditions of combination. They are individuals struggling against highly organised conditions.”

The farmers’ plight may also be partly ascribed to the fact that while the slow processes of nature refuse to be burned, man’s inventive genius has made the industrial and commercial life of the eity more agreeable than they were, continued the speaker. He poked some good-natured fun at certain so-called advances which are much heralded. “I hear a great deal about nitrogen -from the air,” he said, “about synthetic food and similar stunts. There was a delightful article in the press a while ago upon milk. Some inglorious physicist has discovered that the cow is quite unnecessary for the production of milk. AU you have to do is take the grass to the laboratory and make the milk. Physically I dare say it is possible, but I don’t expect to see that little industrial revolution in my own time. ’ ’