FARMERS’ PROBLEMS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22545, 12 April 1935, Page 10

FARMERS’ PROBLEMS

THE GOVERNMENT’S EFFORTS TRIBUTE TO MR COATES INDEPENDENT MEMBER’S EULOGY (Peb United Peess Association) ELTHAM, April 11. At a very largely attended meeting of farmers at Eltham Mr C. A. Wilkinson, the member for Egmont, came out pronouncedly in favour of the Mortgagors’ Final Adjustment Act. He commended the Act to the hearty co-opera-tion of all farmers. Many farmers, he said, were apparently not satisfied with the Act, but he considered it a long step forward. It was, however, anything but final and determined efforts would be made to bring within its scope all mortgages and extensions of mortgages dated after April, 1931, especially longterm mortgages held by the Public Trust and other financial institutions.

Mr Wilkinson warmly commended the efforts, of the Government to help to solve the farmers’ problems and singled out Mr J. G. Coates and Mr R. Masters for special mention. No other man in the House could have done what Mr Coates had done. He had handled the Bill in a masterly fashion and it was regrettable that in the face of opposition from some of his own followers he had to delete certain vital clauses designed further to relieve the farmers. The speaker averred that he was not going over to Mr Coates. The Government would probably strenuously oppose him (Mr Wilkinjon) if he stood again, but he believed in giving credit to the man who had done so much for the farmers of New Zealand during the past session. Mr Masters had skilfully piloted the measure through the Upper House. Mr Wilkinson also paid a compliment to the work of Mr W. J. Poison, M.P., president of the Farmers’ Union, who voted for the Bill.

Replying to questions, Mr Wilkinson foreshadowed the day when all farm mortgages would be abolished and farms sold for cash, only, any balance of unpaid purchase money to be unsecured and the vendor treated as an ordinary creditor. As it was there was nothing in the Act to prevent land being mortgaged up to the hilt again and the same old thing was happening all over again. The speaker announced that the Government was preparing a special publication explanatory of the Act in which there were many intricate clauses. The meeting carried a vote of thanks to the Government for its attempt to solve the farmers’ mortgage problems, with special thanks to all the Taranaki members.