ASSISTANCE FOR THE FARMER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23704, 11 January 1939, Page 5

ASSISTANCE FOR THE FARMER

' TO THE EDITOR Sir,—l have just read “S.O.S.’s” letter in your paper of January 5. I beg a little of your space to tell “ 5.0.5.” and others my experiences in a matter of Government assistance, then let him and many more judge for themselves if, or not,, the Government are endeavouring to assist the man on the land. We took up our farm of 103 acres, and we were only here a few months when misfortune overtook us by way of fire. Our house and shed and everything in them went. We had no insurance (through no fault of our own), so that was a dead loss to us. In half an hour’s time all we had left was a heap of hot ashes. That is now 18 months ago. We then tried to get a loan from the Government to rebuild, offering our place and all live and dead stock as security, only to receive a refusal combined with the'sympathy of different members. including the Prime Minister. We were urged to try again by the many people around here that had ‘ listened in,” etc. They were so sure that this Government would fail no one in distress. So we kept up the battle, until, heartily sick of it, I wrote last week and told them I would not bother them any further. During the months of correspondence we received letters rom different heads in Parliament. First, to advise us not to stay on the farm, but to go to Dunedin and my husband to go to the Placement Department and get, or seek, work. This, of course, we refused to do. Next we were advised to go on to public works. Mr Nash wrote both fny husband and me that he had made it possible for ray husband to start at once on the public works in this district Well, I have no need to say that this did not appeal to us either, as we had no intention of giving up our farm because they wouldn’t help us replace our home. The last letter to arrive was to tell us that -as long as we remained on the farm the Government would not help us. That letter came two weeks ago. I am. indeed, wondering why they were so set on petting us off our place. I would say here ]£ at there is nothing the matter with the farm. Since we came here, a little more than two years ago. we have brought in stump land under the plough and have been rewarded with satisfactory/ crops We have felled bush and got a good paddock of grass on the burn. We have doubled our herd of cows, and are producing just double last year’s output. We had a struggle to start with, but have now the stage well set to go ahead and had we not been so hard hit bv the Are. wc would not have had to seek any help. I may say also in passing that" there is a ouantity of very valuable bush on the back slopes of our

place. This none of the three’ valuators bothered to look at; it may . have been too far away for them, being about a mile or so away. We have lived in tents ever, since the fire, and I may be forgiven, I think, when I have'entertained many bitter thoughts. On very cold and frosty or snowy nights, when trying to keep the chill out, a little voice kept repeating in the back of my mind a sentence I heard over the radio, when our Prime Minister was preparing for the elec--WojJ. The sentence Was, I think, something like this: “ Wei will not have our people living in tumble-down rookeries.. What’s good enough for me is good enough for them,” Well, I heartily invite Mr Savage to spend a few weeks in our tent .when, the frost and snow are again with us. .- Evidently our generous Government think it is .not a hard enough knock to lose your - home by, fife, but would do, their „ utmo.- to get one off, the bit of land which is the,hard stepping stone of our future Why they keep up the cry for production and. behind the scenes do their best to make one less producer at least is beyond "me, Perhaps ‘‘S.O.S.” would try and figure it out for me. If 5.0.5.” or anyone else wants proof of these statements they can see the letters, signed in the handwriting of not one, but several members. I have quite_ an interesting collection stored up. I can assure you. and they are here for anyone to read who feels inclined or doubts this letter—l am, etc. ■ . , O, M. Todd. Caberfeidh. January 6.