FARMERS' ONLY COURSE.

Northern Advocate, 16 July 1921, Page 6

FARMERS' ONLY COURSE.

HARD WORK AND ECONOMY FOLK QUESTIONS ANSWERED 9 Mi Hugh L'f.orri-on, of Mastorton, president of the VVairarapa Provincial Farmers' Union , answers four question'; put hy the "Post" in the following terms: — 1. What i,s the best course for producers to [HHVuO in view of altered v.ilues for prirarity products? "The only course for the farmer to purr-I.c is hard, work and economy. Tlio charges for freezing, shipping, and selling are far too high, and the fanner must make, o determined effort 'to get these reduced. Whereas in 1914 it cost JLhl a lb of mutton to kill, freeze, ship and -?01l in London, to-day it costs 4i(i, which means whereas it co.st 7s 6d per 601b sheep in 1914, today it costs 22s 6d. Charges for service from the time the sheep leaves, the farm till it is sold, in London will have to be reduced all along the line. The dairying industry, too, is hampered by high, shipping freights and other ehai'ge--." 2. Can the batiks do more than ai present, consistent with prudence, to help producer■; in. present circumstances? "I do not profess to be a banking expert, but,, 'there is no doubt the barflcs operating in New Zealand have financed their farmer clients more sue-; CCS"-fully than rl»e banks in America, where they have -bankrupted fanners wholesale during die last 12 months. I think the bi.nk-i 'were justified in following a caulious policy. The dairying industry saved New Zealand this year, and, it' the values>f their products fall, money' will be shorter next year.'' '5 Do you think the city people realise to a sufficient extent the seriousness of the -present position, and what can they do to help the faritie: at the pre-eat time?

'' TJie city ai:„u does not realise the ficrio'us position of the farmers, and he in under the impression that they are crying out. before- they arc hurt. Perhaps it is because he is not acquaint- - cel. with the facts. Nearly every farmer has made serious, loss on the ■working on his farm. Men that have bought farms within the last two or three yearn, o.re finding it very difficult. to make financial arrangemnts to j>ay the.interest on their mortgages. 1" know of a farmer 'who last year got 15id for his wool, and this year he got only ?jd a lb. 'Some farmers only average 2Jd a lb. for their wool. Goo I sheep which last year fetched 35s per •head, only .realise 12s per head to-day. . Sheep in lo.w condition are fetching as low as ono or two shillings each. The position regarding cattle is, if anything, worse. - It does not pay a farmer to send cow beef to the London market, as he will get less for it than ' the charges come to. Ox ibeef is very _ little better. (Store cattle, which were selling at from £10 to £16 about 18 months ago, are fetching from. 10s to liG each to-day. The city man can help the farmer by investigating why he has to pay £8 to £10 for a. suit of clothes when the value -of the wool in it is only worth from 3s t'o ss-. Also, why be ha? to pay about £2 for a pair of boots when, the farmer only gets about £2 for a hide weighing, say, 501b. The farmer ha* battled against low prices before, but in those days, the high cost of living did not hit him so hard, for he is a consumer as well as a producer." 4. Do you. think New Zealand can fori fresh markets for her produce, and what steps should be taken to establish such markets? "There is :i probability that we may find. a market in the East for some of our produce, but the difficulty is whether w\>. eati get sufficient back !o:u"iiag from those countries. Such articles as rubber, rice, tea, etc., may not he required in this country in large enough, quantities to keep up perjn.uient trtulc. The Eastern trade is, however, we'll worth investigating. The easing of the exchange in the Contin-* cnt.a! countries may give us outlet for the sale of woo!,-but the imposition of the tariff in U.S.A. bars ( us from looking for a. 'market in America."