MUST EXERCISE CARE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18975, 27 March 1936, Page 14

MUST EXERCISE CARE

FARMING COMMUNITY GUARANTEED PRICE PLAN VISITOR'S OPINION While he considers it only reasonAble that the farmers of New Zealand should' assist the Government as far as possible in connection with its guaranteed price scheme, it is the opinion of Mr. D. J. Naude, a memlber of the British and South African farmers' party at present visiting Hawko's Bay, that the farming community will require to exercise great care. "The question of guaranteed prices is. a difficult matter for the Government to handle/" said Mr. Naude during an interview in Napier. He stressed the danger of overproduction in connection with the scheme, and stated that it was a mystery to him how it was intended to control this aspect of the position. MORE TROUBLE "Guaranteed prices have been tried out in South Africa, with the result that there has been a heavy increase in production, to such an extent, in fact, that the farmers have found themselves in more trouble than for years, owing to the world's ruling prices being so low," Mr. Naude said. "It has 'been a very expensive experiment. In ,this country especially the farmers will have to toe careful because the greater part of the torunt of expenditure and interest on loans as far as this country is concerned is chiefly borne by the. farming community. They will therefore have to exercise care." Mr. Naude added that he felt that the request that had been made by the Government for the assistance of the'farmers in solving their problems should be met where- possible, because a very difficult task Avas being faced. There was no, doubt that the farmers of New Zealand deserved jo get what the Government could givo to improve their position. JUDICIOUS BREEDING . Another member of the party, Mr. John Fisher, stressed the need for the, study of inheritance in stoclc This .was a matter to which "Now Zealand farmers, he considered, could afford t'o give full attention. The value of a sheep, for instance, .was not what it looked like; but what its progeny was. He had seen many instances of injudicious breeding during the course of his travels. > "Your farmers have, the environ; ment for the production of excellent stock," Mr. Fisher went on. "At the same time it should be realised that environment is not everything. It does not • change inheritance, although, it modifies the expression of inheritance. I don't want to criticise, but I \vould stress the need for the study of inheritance in stock and the porting out of high inheritance in any desired direction, and the need ;for breeding these together, to attain in the particular character. Vfhis, to my mind, is an important fyoint in lowering the cost of produc-