FINANCING THE FARMER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18342, 7 March 1923, Page 10

FINANCING THE FARMER

KEEPING MEN ON LAND,

MATANGI URGES ACTION.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORAKSPONPBNT.] HAMILTON. Tuesday. A suggestion that farmers who had met with adverse circumstances should be

financially assisted so that their services on the land might be retained, was put forward at a meeting of tho Matangi branch of the Farmers' Union last night. Mr. A. Schmitt, organiser of the union, said that many farmers had called on him looking for employment during the last year. He considered that if the labour of these men could be employed in increasing the production of the lana instead of swelling the unemployed ranks in the cities the country as a -whole would benefit. He advocated a scheme whereby experienced men could be placed on .land and financed until the land was in a productive state. The Government would retain possession of the land until this condition was brought about. # Mr W. Ranatead said experience had shown that poor men rarely did well on unimproved land. . , ~ -j - ... Mr J. Boyd supported the idea that the farmer should be paid for bis, labour and be given the chance of becoming the owner of the land when it had become .productive. The whole of the.labour should be a charge against the land. His idea was that it would be far better to hand over to the farmer an improved piece of land than leave him to work out his own salvation from the start on a ° l se following resolution was carried :_ "That this meeting expresses itself m favour of a land scheme being foraiJated with a view to keeping experienced farmIrs who <had had reverses, in the country rather than allow them to go to the cities." ■ .