SAVINGS OF FARMERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19253, 16 February 1926, Page 11

SAVINGS OF FARMERS.

| AN INVESTMENT " TIP." MANURE FOR TOP-DRESSING. [BT TELEGRAPH,—OWN CORItIESJPONDKNX.] DANNEViISKE. Monday. In the course of his visit to Dannevirke last week' the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. 0. J. Hawken, gave some advice on the investment of capital on somewhat unorthodox lines to a meeting of local farmers which he addressed. As a farmer himself, Mr. Hawken said, he was always interested in stock exhibitions. He fully sympathised with the farmers and he meant to devote all life energies to the problems before them, but he hoped that he would have the backing of the farmers themselves. He had already, had some heavy problems unloaded on to him, particularly in regard to wheat and meat. Hfj had heard quite a lot on these two subjects already. (Laughter). Generally speaking, hawever, he thought New Zealand farmers were doing pretty well and had not much to grumble at, they had a good climate and a glorious country, but sometimes the human element failed. Referring to the question of colleges of agriculture Mr. Hawken said that he was sorry to a sort of friction on this question between the town and country people. He deprecated this feeling which he said should not exist. Another point that ho wished to make, said the Minister, was the tendency of farmers to invest their profits in other concerns instead of putting them into the " old farm." He wan satisfied that farmers were going too far in that direction. He said that there was a better investment —that of manure for topdressing. By investing theirs savings in this they would get a return- of 40 or 50 per cent., which was surely better than investing it irx other concerns at 7 or 8 per cent, and running the risk of losing it besides.