GREATER PRODUCTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19291, 1 April 1926, Page 10

GREATER PRODUCTION.

APPEAL BY THE MINISTER.

AGRICULTURAL POLICY. SOUND OBJECTIVE NEEDED. THE TRAINING OF THE FARMER. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] CHEISTCHURCH. Wcdneuday. Increased production as a solution of tho economic problems of New Zealand was urged by the Hon. 0. J. Hawken, Minister of Agriculture, in a speech at the opening of the new hall of the Northern A. and P. Association at Rangiora. " I have always considered the Agricultural and Pastoral Department a very important one, and I consider that our ideas in the past have not been along tho proper lines," said Mr. Hawken. " I firmly believe that o, department that has to do with such great producing interests should .receive moro support than it has been receiving in the past. lam speaking quite frankly. It will bo my duly to lay down a sound policy and to look into tho various issues involved in connection with farming. The department should have moro funds at its disposal than it has. Wo have spent in various other departments a great deal of money. Tho expenditure of this department has remained the same every year. "In this country wo have a large number of farmers who were not trained as farmers. They were not brought up on farms. Our agricultural college, which, I hope, will shortly come into being, is a great thing. My concern, however, is for the men on the land. We must wait for tho results of tho teaching that is given tho young folk, but we must not lose sight of the men who are on the land to-day. That is the point —and it is an important point. Wo must get down to it, and produce more than we have been doiiig. The Human Element. " The great need of New Zealand today is increased production. The Agricultural Department will have to take it into its hands to see that a great deal more instruction is given to the young people who intend to take up farirting. We must do everything possible to help tho farmer to produce moro than he has been producing. We have men thoroughly skilled in farming in our department, and I am of opinion that we have not made full use of these men in tho past. We must in future—it will be to the benefit of the country. "We have many difficulties to pass, but we will do it. Unless we increase production, we have difficult times ahead. I believe that this country is as good a country as thero is on the face of tho earth, and I believe that we can always depend on the country, but we have got to do our bit. We must not lose sight of the human element. Little financial troubles and so on visit us sometimes, but by getting down to it we can win through. The Need for More Wheat. " There are several branches of the Agricultural Department. Thero is tho fruit-growing division, the agricultural division, the fields division, the stock division, and the seeds division. When I went into office I took up a stand with regard to wheat-growing, and being a Xorth Island man, many people in tho South said that you down here could expect very little support from me when came to wheat-growing. 1 don't 1 ooiv - at it that way at all. New Zealand is not big enough to split into two pieces. I maintain that it should be kept as one. (Applause.)

"We must strengthen our exports. I. believe that by giving help to the farmers we can in a very short time get sufficient wheat for the Dominion. I am hoping that South Island farmers will grow more wheat. I trust that the difficulty between you people and the millowners will be settled amicably. The two parties do not seem to be very amcable at tho present time. It is a fact that if we do not grow wheat thero will be no need for the mills. Milling cannot go on if thero is no wheat, we must not forget that."