“SPOON FEEDING”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22504, 23 February 1935, Page 11

“SPOON FEEDING”

TO THE EDITOR Sir, — I noted a letter under the title “ Spoon Feeding ” in your paper this morning signed "Farmer’s Wife.” I am sure this lady might have said a great deal more. I myself would like to know how and where the farmers are spoonfed more than those engaged in other industries. Take, for instance, the manufacturers. Are they not spoon-fed with a tariff duty? The farmer’s wife could buy British goods for about a third less if there was no spoon-feeding of the manufacturer. He tells the farmer what he has to pay, w'hereas the farmer has to take what is given him. Where does New Zealand’s revenue eorae from? The farmer; and should he not be entitled to some of his own? He is supporting a string of meat boards, dairy boards, commissions, inspectors, and God knows what else, for I am sure the farmers do hot know. How many public servants does it take to run this little island? The farmer is paying them all. Let me give a sample of the Government spoon-feeding of the farmer. Ten years ago a farmer requiring a small farm, or a run being subdivided, secures a lease of a small section. The ruuholder has been paying 3d per acre. This small farmer who is prepared to work a small section is charged 2s 6d. Why? This settler has a few hard-earned pounds saved up. He fences, ploughs, sows, stocks, builds, get machinery. If he is in Central Otago he puts on irrigation. The land valuer comes along; “My word, you have made a fine place of this; it is really worth 5s per acre.” Thus the farmer has to pay more rent on his own hard labour, yet he is spoon-fed! About this time the farmer thinks that, with a few pounds more, he could still improve. He borrows; produce is good; he can sec his way to pay 5g per acre and the interest. To-day the bottom has fallen out of che market AH the money the farmer invested and his 10 years’ labour are swallowed up 'by the moneylender. The moneylender gets all and the farmer gets nothing. Who is spoon-fed? The mortgagee wants his interest. The farmer has to retrench. He puts off his assistant; he risds a couple of hours earlier in the morning, and gets his wife out in the cowshed. Personally, 1 have seen a baby not yet six months’ old, lying crying in an old shed adjoining the cow byre, while the mother was trying to milk. I have known a farmer get up at, 5 a.m., look to his irrigation, muk his cows with the assistance of his wife, lead in hay until milking time, milk again, and after milking he had to attend to his irrigation and rake up some more hay for the following day’s lead in. He had tea at 11 p.m. That man was spoon-fed! I was very much interested to know what steps Mr Coates was going to take to help the small farmer. First, the Dairy Commission to help the dairy farmer, —a few, more straws to the camel’s back; now —if I am wrong correct me— Mr Coates aims to form a company backed by the Government to take over all payable farms or secure mortgages, cooperate, and handle the mortgages of those financial farms. A good speculation for the financial, but where does the spoonfeeding come in?—l am, etc., Not Spoon Fed. Central Otago, February 18.