AID FOR FARMERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22352, 25 February 1936, Page 8

AID FOR FARMERS

MORTGAGE PEOBLEMS GUARANTEED PRICES SCHEME SECURING LABOUR FOR LAND [BY TELEGRAM! —PBESS ASSOCIATION'] WELLINGTON, Monday The proposals which will be introduced in the coming session of Parliament to assist farmers and mortgagors generally were outlined by the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, in his statement to-day. The proposals, he said, would involve legislation. For instance, the Mortgage Corporation would ultimately be put back on a basis similar to the State Advances Department. There would also be legislation dealing with the position of farmer mortgagors, said Mr. Savage. Under the proposals of the late Government the solution of the farmers' difficulty had been postponed for five years, and in the meantime the farmer had been put under supervision and control. The Labour Government's way of dealing with the problem was to commence with its solution at the earliest possible moment. The question of mortgages and the question of guaranteed prices would he dealt with on the same basis of valuation. It was the Government's aim to provide for the average man working under average conditions. " The man who cannot work on that basis," said Mr. Savage, "is in the wrong job, and the man who has lent money above that basis is also in the wrong job. It is only the average man working under average conditions that can be taken into consideration. We are not legislating for the scientist or the man who , doesn't know his job, but for the average farmer. " In the past the farmer has been asking for labour. Our objective is to make it possible for the farmer to have the labour he requires and to be able to provide reasonable conditions for that labour. We cannot guarantee the farmers anything unless the people hare money to sustain those guarantees. There is nobody left out in that picture. " There are some people who say, ' You are helping these people at our expense.' Although we cannot do everything in the same day, the people may rest assured that it will be done rapidly; and we are not going to help anybody at the expense of others."