FARMERS AND IMPORTED FODDER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13451, 30 May 1907, Page 7

FARMERS AND IMPORTED FODDER.

Sir,l see Otahuhu farmers , have interviewed the Minister for Customs, and induced him to. increase tho duty on imported Australian fodder,, their plea,..being.-..that, after the payment of high rent and wages, the farmer's share was miserably small, or the working farmer's wages were. These same farmers have hitherto been freetraders, and protested against bolstering up of town industries at .their expense. A low price of produce is not a cause of low, wages or profits, but often indicates high ones}; a low price of produce lowers rent only, and, the selling price of land. .The circumstances aro as I understand them, viz., sufficient oats were sown in Auckland province to supply local wants for the whole, year, but the January floods destroyed or damaged a part of many' farmers' crops, and some were a total loss, : consequently somo of these unfortunates, instead of being sellers, will bo forced to buy at the advance. It is those who were . fortunate in . getting the whole crop harvested before the flood who are petitioning tho Minister, regardless of "the interests of their unfqrtunate fellows. For tho past 10 years I have been charging ;ur trades unionists with being- the most selfish in the community, but these farmers have excelled them. I always thought it was tho duty of our Ministers to assist the weak and unfortunate at even the expense of the strong and fortunato, so as to remove as.far as possible the spirit of gambling from all legitimate employments; but it seems wo have now an exception to tho ■ ?M' C - . .' -Jons Johnson, -