FINANCE AND FARMING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20241, 29 April 1929, Page 14

FINANCE AND FARMING.

Sir,- On the one hand wo have the ppectaclo of our banks and financial institutions literally groaning with millions of capital awaiting investment; on tho other, tho small business man and farmer siarving in many cases for additional capital for growth and development, and worst of all, unemployment and want stalking through tho land What, is wrong, anyhow '{ Ilavo we not lost faith ? Does not fear rule our whole outlook of life 7 Caution is right in it? place, but it. can easily become, a clog in tho wheels of progress. Can wo not say ''Lord increase our faith," in ourselves, in our fellows, in our country : Tho stream of capital must be loosed to How in reproductive development, to end tho present stalemate, and a strong, robust faith in ourselves and our grand country will assist in this. A small business man recently wanted a little extra capital for expansion: he had a steady business, was a man of high character, and lie interviewed his banker, offering a life insurance policy duo m 18 months, with £l3O, with a surrender valuo of be tweeu £9O and £loo—a gilt-edged security. After somo delay £6O was offered (£IOO was wanted), and it was only when a threat was made to transfer to another bank, where a higher advance was offered, that moro was advanced. This is tho prevailing spirit; no faith, no riskto be taken, crushing the spirit of enterprise. Where is the remedy to bo found —only in opening up new country. Why not employ hundreds of our able-bodied nncniplovoii in breaking in tracts of unimproved land in suitable districts, clearing, ploughing, fencing, draining, erecting cottages and sheds, then dividing up into 100-aere farms, with right to lease or o.r.p. Let tho ready-made farms bo balloted for, and to the right men finance with stock. Why not? Only our lack of faith. Tho whole country would prosper and every section would share in tho return of beltei days. Vision and faith added to capital and labour would work tho needed change. With iitilo capital and no experience I, like many others, won through until tho days of boom and slump, and it could be done again under right conditions with the will to succeed. Hundreds of ex-farmers, who lost all under the abnormal conditions of the past few years, and aro now competing with unskilled labour in the cities, would rally io such an opportunity, and would succeed, too. . Tho need is urgent. Why not try it out right away? Earmark tho half million to be saved by stopping tho railway deviation at l'alnierstou Nortli for a start. C.A.F.