FARMING CONDITIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22293, 20 June 1934, Page 7

FARMING CONDITIONS

A MARKED IMPROVEMENT RETURNING CONFIDENCE (Peb United Press- Association.) , WELLINGTON, June 18. In an address as retiring president of the Royal-Agricultural Show to-day,- Mr L. R. Maefarlane said that for many: farmers the last year had been the best since 1914. An improvement „had been seen in the quantity and the quality, of production and in the high working profits which had enabled most of the Tosses of: the: past four-years to be paid off. One of'the reasons for the improvement Was that the Government had refused to be stampeded into doing rash things, but : had steadily considered the general interests of the one industry upon which the Dominion re-' lied. Other factors were the depreciation of New Zealand’s currency in cline--with the action taken by the rest of the world, the increased prices obtainable overseas, owing to the natural reaction to the low price* of. the previous year, - the lower costs of production, ,and the more economical methods of the management of the land to a greater extent than ever before by men with practical experience; and the absence of speculation in farm property. He predicted that when confidence in the land returned < fully . the business: world , would be falling over itself, to get money into primary production at any sort of low interest. It was the duty of every farmer to: maintain and increase that confidence. There was another and greater reason for returning prosperity, the spirit of the farmers , themselves, their determination to make their farms.payand increase production in spite of discouraging prices. \