A CHAT TO FARMERS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 29 August 1919, Page 3

A CHAT TO FARMERS

SOME INTERESTING REMARKS

Mr A. R. Young, M.R.C.V.S., in an interesting address at a gathering of farmers in Dannevirke last week, said that the Government was doing a good deal more for the soldiers than they were given credit for. He had applied for £1000 to be spent on educational instruction to soldiers, and had been granted it, and had been in* formed that if more was required he would get it. He had had an experience of fanners extending over a period of 30 years, and to his mind farmers were divided into distinct classes —the farmer who knew his business perfectly well and had plenty of money and made a success of his operations; and there was another class —the man who did not know very much about farming and who had not very much capital. These were the men the Agricultural Department were out to help. He pointed out that the largest percentage of farmers did very well out of their farms, but with improved methods of farming they would do better. Their great need was financial assistance, and if the Farmers' Union could suggest anything of a practical nature to assist the men on the land round Dannevirke they would be doing more to keep the pot boiling immediately than agricultural education could possibly do'. He contended that increased production was not the concern of the farmer alone. It was a team job, and the farmer was only the shafter, and if the thing was to be a success productivity must not stop at the farmer, but must be carried right through. What was the use of the farmer producing if the railways could not carry their stuff? and what was the use of railways without boats? Productivity was everybody's bu6in»ss, and it was everybody's business to see that the machine was kept moving in a harmonious manner. They were ail prepared to do their best as farmers, but they were not prepared to carry the loafer on their back. That was the curse of New Zealand—there were too many loafers. They could not get proper production unless each section of the community worked as hard as it possibly could. Mr Young gave the farmers a tip about next winter. In spite, he said, of all the promises that had been made concerning shipping, they might have to carry a lot more stock over this coming winter than they actually intended to do, and whatever they did he advised them to grow plenty of winter feed. Unless something unforeseen happened they would have more stock to carry than last winter. What was wanted was the assistance of the Farmers' Union in financial matters. What the farmer of the present day really wanted was money to develop his holding, and, moreover, the whole burden should not he on the one shoulders. Each party must bear its share of the burden.