STATUES IN THE SQUARE.

Southland Times, Issue 21263, 9 December 1930, Page 3

STATUES IN THE SQUARE.

To the Editor.

Sir, —In your issue of 29/11/30 is contained a letter signed “Citizen” regarding the placing of statuary in that unique quadrangle at Invercargill. Its beautiful bread streets, the close proximity of the schools, the headquarters of the Post and Telegraphs for Southland, whence all messages and news —good or ill—is mustered and re-distributed, is, surely, the most fitting centre to send out the. messages to many future generations, by the statuary representatives of the Navy and Army, respectively the saviours of our great and glorious Empire. There must be a chief, or ruling spirit, in every profession, business, or other concern. This chief, or ruling spirit, when standing, or sitting in the place of authority, does not represent SELF, but the whole body of men and women who were pleased to serve under such authority, or chief, or ruling spirit, and so these statues will, for hundreds, and may be thousands of years, be a silent message to every passer-by of noble deeds done, not for SELF! but for and on behalf of every individual who passes and glances. Many there are who would like to forget the fearful war, many there are who dread the thought of a powerful enemy, and we all have enemies of some kind, but when we see a strong man always ready and willing to step in to help, to defend! we are relieved tremendously and thereby more fit to go about , our own individual duties — whatever they may be. And so the generous donor of these’ works of Art, these works of remembrance, should indeed be made to feel the gratitude of every citizen for his unselfish desire to perpetuate the memory of others. His determination to remain anonymous is a sure proof of not considering SELF, and the minute inconvenience of dodging lakes, as suggested by “Citizen,” in what is known throughout New Zealand as a “Dry District!” might very well be considered a slight remembrance of those who suffered tremendous inconvenience during the war; but were strengthened and led to perfect safety by those, whose representatives, the statues portray.—l am, etc., W. H. FELDON. Sculptor Artist. Auckland, December 5, 1930. PS..:

May I respectfully suggest to “Citizen” that the cost of repairing the flooring of the quadrangle, deleting the possibility of the puddles, or lakes of water, would not, surely, be a very expensive undertaking. FARMERS’ BALANCE .SHEETS. Sir, —A copy, of an appeal from Mr W. J. Polson to the Government for relief to farmers’ burdens was published in your issue of 4th inst. There is no doubt that the low prices at present ruling for farm products are hitting the farmer very badly and farmers have a right to expect assistance from the Government’ under these circumstances quite as much as the unemployed, and Mr Polson certainly deserves credit for the efforts -:he"jis” putting forth" in : his "endeavours to enlist the sympathy, support and action.of the Government in meeting the situation. ?

In support of his plea, Mr Polson has quoted two farm balance sheets, one purporting to be the balance sheet of a farmer who occupies a 1,000 acre farm carrying 2500. sheep and 100 head of cattle, the second representing the balance of a dairy farm of 120 acres milking 80 cows and carrying 30 calves and 30 heifers as well. These statements, if correct, should be the most conclusive evidence of the W'orking of each of these farms for the year, but an analysis of the figures given in these balance sheets shows serious faults. The object in detailing these figures is to show the necessity for Government assistance being given to farmers, but it is unreasonable for Mr Polson to expect the Government to take the liability of assisting the farmer to the extent of earning interest on the whole of the capital invested in his farm. The farmer has- no more right to expect the Government to guarantee interest on his capital invested than any business man carrying on business of any description whatever has a right to expect the Government to guarantee him interest on the whole of his capital invested. It is a reasonable thing, however, for the farmer to appeal to the Government to assist him in such a crisis as exists at the present time when the value of the farmers’ products has fallen below, in some cases, the actual cost of production, and in making his appeal to the Government, Mr Palson, in my opinion, would have made out a better case had he confined himself simply to trying to get the Government to assist the farmer during the present crisis to the extent that would enable him to make both ends meet in regard to receipts and expenditure from the working of his farm at the end of the year. When a farmer purchases a farm and obtains a mortgage advance upon it, it is assumed that he at least owns in his own capital two-fifths of the value of the farm and my contention is that it is not a matter for the Government to guarantee or take into consideration whether he earns interest or hot bn this capital, but it is a different matter altogether to ask the Government to assist the farmer in some way to enable him to provide his mortgage interest and the Working expenses, and also in the disposal of the products of his farm, just as it is within the functions of a Government to endeavour to find employment for the unemployed section of the community.

I enclose copy of two statements which I think set forth the actual circumstances of the farms quoted by Mr Polson in his appeal. In Mr Polson’s balance sheets he not only has dealt with the capital involved in the way in which I have above represented, but in the case of the No. 1 balance sheet he has made no allowance in his receipts for the year for any lambs, the progeny of the 1100 ewes, and no credit for any calves from the breeding cows. His balance sheets are also incomplete because he has not only omitted the above credits in the receipts, but he has made no provision whatever for replacing the stock sold. In the second balance sheet he has omitted altogether to charge interest on the value of the cows and calves and young cattle on this particular farm. In the expenditure column in Mr Polson’s balance sheets several items are obviously reckoned on an excessive basis and in some cases I have cut down these amounts in the enclosed balance sheets, which will, I think, give a more correct and true record of the actual position.

The closing four or five paragraphs of Mr Polson’s letter are simply the usual verbiage practically blaming the Government for everything and expecting the Government to provide remedies for everything. The Government, as well as every farmer and every business man in the Dominion, knows too well the disastrous effects of the,shortage of 15 millions in the value of our exports, but if, instead of throwing generalities at the Government, Mr Polson would name a few practical suggestions which would alleviate the situation he would receive the support of every section of the community. 1 would suggest that Mr Polson include in any suggestions he may have to make for meeting the conditions now existing amongst our farmers, that the Government take whatever steps may be necessary to enable the “Advances to Settlers Office,” the “Life Insurance Department,” the "Public Trust Department,” the “Rural Advances,” and any other Government lending institution, to postpone the collection of interest or instalment on mortgages for, say, 3 years, thus giving the farmers immediate relief to that extent, the arrears to be collected later by extending the period of repayments of mortgages for a further 3 years. In the case of No. 1 farmer, whose balance sheet is quoted above, he would get immediate relief to the extent of £666 per annum for 3 years, which would more than cover interest on -his capital ■ invested in his farm and enable him to make both ends meet even in the face of the low prices at present existing for farm products. It is a pity, Mr Editor, that farmers in their meetings of Farmers’ Unions and their many conferences from time to time, do not spend their time in formulating some practical suggestions to submit to the Government for the betterment of farmers’ conditions, instead of wasting practically all their time in generalities, which simply get them nowhere. What is the use of farmers over and over again simply enlarging upon the existing conditions which not only the Government are fully conversant with, but which every Technical and High School boy knows all about? The farmers themselves should be the best judges of what methods should be adopted to meet the existing circumstances and surely it is up to them to submit to the Government their suggestions instead of leaving the remedies for the existing evils to be created by any Government, which in most cases is constituted of men who know far less about farmers’ business than the farmers know themselves. The one suggestion made above to postpone collection of all instalments and interest on mortgages owing to Government, departments is a practical one, and could quite well be carried out at a moment’s notice, and if the Government would come out right away and give this intimation to the farmers that this would be done, the thousands of farmers who have their advances from Government departments would have their positions established, for the next three years. How the same remedy is to be procured for farmers who have advances from private lenders and institutions is a matter for the farmers themselves to think out and formulate suggestions on, as well as any others affecting their position, with a view to bettering it. If farmers will take this hint and spend a little of their time when their unions and conferences meet in the direction indicated instead of leaving everything to the initiation of the Government, some practical benefits would in a short time be derived by them—l am, etc., H.

£ s d Estimated receipts and exipenditure in working farm of lOOOac. value £18 10/per ac .. 18,500 0 0 On which presume farmer has paid 2-5ths of value .. . 7,400 0 0 leaving mortgage of .. 11,100 0 0 Expenditure. Mortgage, say, 3-5ths value £11,100, interest on mortgage 0 per cent. .. .. .. 666 0 0 Interest on stock valued at £3,000 7 ]>er cent 210 0 0 Land tax, say Shearing charges, pucks, oil, replacements, contract shearing 100 0 0 99 to 0 Labour one nian’s wage and keep .. .. .. 175 0 0 Dipping costs JO 0 0 Working expenses, repairs, timber, paint, benzine, etc. 50 0 0 Car and lorry expenses .. 40 0 0 Casual labour cultivation,, etc. 60 0 0 Grass, turnips, rape and other seeds 50 0 0 Incidental expenses .. .. .. 25 0 0 Loss replacement; rams, ■ bulls, > -■ .say, per acre .-. .. .. .. 20 0 0 Household . expenses £10 per month .. .. 120 0 0

Replacement of Stock Sold,. 300 ewes, say, f.in. 12/- .. 180 0 0 350 store wethers 15/- .. 262 10 0 15 young cattle £3 45 0 0 2,128 0 0 Receipts. Lambs from 1,100 ewes, say, 80 per cent., 880 lambs sold fat 18/ 792 0 0 300 old ewes 15/225 0 0 350 fat wethers 23/- .. •• 387 10 0 Wool from 2,500 sheep, nay, at 3/375 0 0 15 steers sold £9 135 0 0 10 heifers sold £7 70 0 0 40 calves from breeding cows £3 120 0 0 Balance loss 23 10 0 — 2,128 0 0 On 120 acres dairy farm value £45 per acre 5,400 0 0 On which farmer has paid 2-5ths value 2,160 0 0 leaving mortgage of . 3,240 0 0 Expenditure. Mortgage, say, 3-5ths value £3,240, interest on mort gage 6 per cent, per acre 196 8 0 Interest on stock, say, £800 7 per cent 56 0 0 Wages and keep one man .. 150 0 0 Wages haymaking 12 10 0 Loss of cows (mammitis, etc.) problematical .. .. Rates 83 15 0 Power Board accounts .. .. 48 0 0 Working expenses in shed . 20 0 0 Stock foods, licks and expenses 100 0 0 Insurance accident and fire 15 0 0 Incidental charges 20 0 0 Annual proportion purchase bulls 20 0 0 Testing charge 10 0 0 Household expenses £10 per acre 120 0 0 Profit 155 7 0 1007 0 0 Receipts. Milk from 80 cows at lOd. 950 0 0 Bobby calves 40 at G/12 0 0 Pigs 20 at £2 5/45 0 0 1007 0 0 — — Ini erest on farmer's capital paid up £2,1G0 at G per 129 12 0 Balance profit after paying all charges and interets .. 45 15 0 175 7 0 Profit ..' 155 7 0 Southland farmer would also carry about 20 ojd ewes from which he would cam in lambs and wool, say .. 20 0 0 175 7 0