PLIGHT OF AGRICULTURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20989, 28 September 1931, Page 7

PLIGHT OF AGRICULTURE.

NEED FOR ORGANISATION. VALUE OF MARKETING BOARD. GENERAL SMUTS ON POSITION. i By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. j (Received September 27, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON*, Sept. 2& At the opening of the centenary meeting of the British Association the president, General J. C. Smuts, in the course of his address, said that although South Africa was less affected than Canada, Australia and New Zealand, it was for the farmer as if another war had ravaged the world. General Smuts said he feared vast social upheavals unless a way out was found, because the situation was unbearable. There was almost economic enslavement in mankind's primary industry. The progress of science in the development of the Empire falsified Sir William Crookes' prophecies regarding agriculture. Apparently science must be halted in order to terminate agricultural depression. It had upset agriculture's applecart all over the world. They must co-ordinate results and keep the system in step. Farmers were bad business men. Production absorbed their energies and prevented them from marketj iug their products properly. Farming | might be organised in order to reach the j consumer without paying too high a trii bute to the host of middlemen, i The Empire Marketing Board's activj ities were most helpful in Imperial rclaj tions. Until the board appeared there was j not the nucleus of essential staff organisa- ! tion. The board should be allowed to j function fully as one of the strongest j Imperial links. It could ration the | markets between various parts of the Empire. The Empire was favourably situated for organised exchange, and preference would meet many of its economic difficulties. He hoped the Marketing Board would investigate the questions which preference could not meet, especially that of marketing by contract. Sir Daniel Hall, chief scientific adviser to the Ministry of Agriculture, recalled that 1400 of the 3600 Australian farmers who supplied statistics to the Empire Marketing Board did not achieve half the average production. Farming was hampered by the human lag and inherited j social conditions. Science controlled j nature and should control human nature. WOOL OUTLOOK BETTER. INCREASING USE AS WEAR. RESEARCH EXPERTS PROPHECY. LONDON. Sept. '23. A bright future for wool was prophesied by Dr. Sydney Barker, director of woollen research, British Research Association, speaking at the meeting of the British Association. It was returning to favour as a textile. Experience at Bradford showed its increasing popularity. As an apparel wool j was more efficient than artificial textiles | and had held its own in spite of competi- | tiou.