THE COUNTRY PARTY

Northland Age, Volume 25, Issue 27, 22 October 1925, Page 2

THE COUNTRY PARTY

MR. 6WEENEY AT KAITAIA Mr. H. J. Sweeney, the Country Party eaniii late (or Bay ol Islands, had a good meeting at Kiitaia on Thursday night. Mr. Sweeney, who on rising v. as received with applause, said he was plea: d to have the opportunity to place before the electors the oujects and aims of the Country Parliamentary Political League. Farmers and Political Action He would briefly at the outset, state that he himself was a New Zealander, a returned soldier, and a farmer. Before last May he had no intention of entering the political arena but when attending as a delegate at a Farmers’ Union Conference in Auckland he was approached to accept nomination as a candidate for Parliament in the interests of the Country Party, and replied that if his abilities were of any use to the farming community he would come out as a candidate. After the conference a Farmers’ Political League, representing the farmers of the Auckland province was formed, and it was unanimously decided to take political action. This movement was not the result of the agitation of a few disgruntled farmers, but was a unanimous movement of the farmers to get representation in Parliament. If elected the Country Party candidates would consider and guard the interests of every section of the community ; but they considered the farming community was entit’ed to more consideration than it was getting, or had, up to the present received. If people took into censideration the importance of the pri mary producers of New Zealand, they would recognise they had a right to direct representation in the House. Farmers the Foundation of the Country’s Prosperity The farmers were the foundation of the country’s prosperity, and if that foundation was not secure, the it:, .structure must crumble. His party intended to try and bring about a different state of affairs in the country. They wanted to see more prosperity, and better roading, schooling, and medical facilities in the country districts. The farming community in New Zealand was in an unhappy position today. Whereas in other industries the costs were placed on the articles and the consumer had to pay, the farmer.-, had to produce ar.d go on the world’s market-, and meet open competition. Unless theii difficulties were overcome and they were enabled to carry on in an economic way, they could not succeed. Ah they asked for was the same consid oration for farmers as enjoyed b; other sections of the community. Something Radically Wror g In 1923, over 2600 people le t the land for the cities, and this was evidence that there was something rad ically wrong. A good deal had beer, heard about the wealthy squatters who squatted on the land. He would give a few figures to show how wealthy the squatters were. The taxable balance for the whole of New Zealand was 21$ million pounds, and ef this 21 i millions the farmers’ share was less than one million. The commerce and trade taxable balance was 71 million, and they paid on an average taxable balance of £1047. The investors’ taxable balance was over four million, and they paid on an average taxable balance of £519. The manufacturers of this country were protected by a high protective duty, but the Country Party consideied that the time had arrived when the protective duty should be diminished so as to disappear in ten years, when if the industries could not stand cn their own feet they should be assisted by a subsidy. The manufacturers’ taxable balance was 23 million and they paid on an average taxable balance of £2744. These people were protected, in many cases up to 35 per cent, by way of customs duties, and when it was considered that th» farmer had to go on to the world’s market with his produce, a .<? co-op-*; with in open cor. i'tl ~ it s t». it free trade was starred withi.i the Empire. Tire professions’ taxable balance was 11 million, and they paid on an average taxable income of £699. Thg taxable balance for salaries and wages wy t/Ji’e and ~pe-thisd million, net ir; llj. millioji yt. .'gtpvcJrlstias earned jftpttug, ej, r Jhe taxable balance of the farmers

was less than one million, and that went to show what the wealth of the squatter was. Out of 70,000 farmers, only 2,800 were subject to income tax, and there were C 7.000 farmers who were not making any taxable income. This would show how wealthy the farmers were. According to the 1923 Year Book there were 674 bankruptcies ; of this number, 201, or 30 per cent., were farmers. The farmers were the largest number on the bankruptcy list and the lowest on the taxable balance, yet the farmers found the wealth of the country. What was the cause of this ? One reason would be found in the Land S ttiement scheme. New Zealand e tained 66 million acres, and out o; that amount, 181 millions carried the burden of this country. There were 161 million acres in grass, ar.d 2 ; million in agriculture, and considering that less than one-third of the country carried the burden of production, some comprehensive land settlement scheme had to be evolved. If ti y could arrive at some solution of the land question they would be making a great step forward. The Country Party advocated the group settlement scheme, and the N -th was quite adaptable for that class of settlement. The Government should embark on a scheme where it could put a group of settlers o:i a block of land, pay them wages to bring the land into production, a'.d if it could be demonstrated that the land could be profitably utilised, the settlers who had brought it in, could ballot for it and be comfortably settled on the land. That w-as a solution of the unoccupied land question. Land values were going up in t; cities, and if the cities prospered at the expense of the rural land, the country would soon be in a bad position. There was no inducement at present for people to go back into the country and carve out a living, b.it there was every inducement for people to leave the land and go to t ;e cities, and that is what they were doing. The conditions under which th ; i- niierc \ ere working today made their task an impossible one. E ry sc slier, of the community ivi. necessary and was entitled to g: its fair share, but those outside forming were getting more than their share, and the farmers were not getting a fair spin. Lack cf Capital for Rural Development Another question that had to be granpied with was finance. The finance available for rural developt was not sufficient to bring the holdings up to a full state of production. The farmer could not do without •It. .ace, and must have the money to -ruble him to produce. The State in ranees to Sailers Department was eighteen month.; behind in dealing with applications for loans and cou.d not cope with the amount required. Some channel had to be provided wftereby the settlers could get money ,t a cheap rate to develop the land.

Agricultural Banks a Solution The Country Party wanted to es- ; offish what was known as Agricultural Banks, and these banks would oe the means of providing the farmer with cheaper money and longer credits. The question of the success of agricultural banks could not be doubted, and they had sufficient common-sense to be guided by the experience ol other countries. Denmark, one of the most prosperous countries in the world, was a good example of the access of agricultural banks. The Danes got their money at ii per ■ .., which included one per cent. ■' ortisation. While not second to i c..er countries in the quality of their roduce, the farmers of New Zealand were at a great disadvantage : garding finance. Denmark had a splendid settlement scheme and a plendid banking scheme. New Zealand had niether of these. If the Hew Zealand Government would give some of the facilities that Denmark -njoyed they ccu.d mere than hold their own in the world’s markets. The United States of America introduced agricultural banks in 19161917, and financed them to the extent of nine million dollars, and in six years the bank had paid back | 7j milljon dollars. In many other I Aunties agricultural wdre a tlflamgjs and siere w'as no reason why’ ify not be a sugqps in New Zealand, one of the most feVtile coun-

tries in the world. Empire Settlement Scheme The Imperial Government had voted three million pounds per annum with a view to facilitating Empire settlement, three years ago. Up to the present time only £400,00.0 of that money had been lifted. There were 700 people to the square mile in Great Britain, and in New Zealand there were only 17 people to the square mile. Britain wanted produce and New Zealand wanted men. If some of Britain’s surplus men were placed on the land in New Zealand, production would be increased, with a resultant increase of happiness all round. Nationalisation of Main Roads Nationalisation of main roads was very important to the farmer and very section of the community. It ivas not fair to ask the country setter to provide money out of rates a make and maintain main roads, ■specially when through traffic cut the roads up. The Government siiofilrl take over and construct all main roads on scientific lines, and more local money would then be available for maintaining the side roads. Defence Mr. Sweeney dealt with the question cf defence at some length, and said that the Country Party favoured the present system of territorial military and physical training. !' vision for Agricultural Education The Country Party supported the present form of primary education, but thought that greater consideration should be given to agricultural education. At the present time tune was no channel where the farmer could be educated, except at Lincoln College in Canterbury. The cost of education per head in 1914 was 23/1 ; in 1923 it was 48/8, or it cost the country three million pounds per annum for education, and he failed to see this reflected in the children of the country. In plenty of country places there were no schools, and in many cases farmers had to build their own school, and beard the taaehers. He wanted to see better educational facilities provided for the children living in the country.

A Firm Freeholder He was an ardent advocate of the freehold tenure and the optional system for the disposal of Crown lands. He had heard a good deal about the “usehold” tenure, and while he was prepared to admit that tV freehold and all tenures were ..ntj--.T to abuse did not consider that the usehold tenure was the solution for the land faculty in this country. The usehold ;enure was impracticable, and the farmers whose duty it was to work the land should have a say as to what tenure they wished to work aider. The farmers did not want the usehold. Today the farmers were groaning under the mortgage system, those mortgages being equivalent to less than half the value of the land, and with interest at 7 per cent, they could not make a success of it. If they could not make it pay at 7 ■er cent, on half the value of their land, how could they possibly pay 5 per cent, on the full value ? Another important matter was getting manures on to the holdings at ■ low rate. At Nauru Island there as a quarry and the phosphates were ent to New Zealand in bulk, unrushed. He saw a report that a system w'as to be established at Nauru Island whereby 6000 tons could be loaded in the ships in one day. What W'as required w'as up-to-date machinery to .crush the phosphate at Nauru and thus save the farmer the extra transhipping and other charges. Out to Better Conditions of Whole Community If elected he would do his best to carry out the programme he had outined. The Country Party was out to better the conditions and do its oest for the man on the land. If the Party brought about an improvenent in the conditions of the man on He land it would be adding to the -osperity of the whole community, here was a general movement along,st the farmers of New Zealand to get redress for their grievances, ar.d unless something was done in that direction, the country would go back. There must be more inducement for people to go on the land, the conditions of rural life must be injuroved, anil the burdens on the land worker must be lightened if the I country was to pro|per.