FARMERS’ UNION BRANCH REMIT

Southland Times, Issue 23374, 4 December 1937, Page 5

FARMERS’ UNION BRANCH REMIT

To The Editor

Sir, —I noticed that the following remit was sent by the Waiau branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union to the Southland Executive: “That in the opinion of this branch the 4B scheme as now constituted should be done away with, and the following substituted, ‘That no moneys from the Unemployment Fund should be granted as a free gift, but that all moneys from the fund be granted as a loan free of interest.’ ”

It seems rather peculiar that such a remit should come from a branch of the Farmers’ Union. One would think that the members of the Waiau branch would appreciate the fact that the farmer who had a hard struggle during the depression is now getting the same opportunities to drain and clear his farm or section as the well-to-do farmer had during that period. In the majority of cases only the well-to-do farmer could take the benefit of schemes 4A and 4B during the depression. Is it not better that this gift money (so-called in the remit) be spent on work that is productive than that it be spent on the unproductive work usually carried out by local bodies? Are the members of the Waiau branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union prepared to advocate that the well-to-do farmer who received this gift money during the depression should have to pay that money back? Do the members of the branch want to see two classes of farmers, the one class struggling along still, while his neighbour is waxing rich.? Does it want to see registered unemployed men

working on unproductive work such as grubbing gorse on the sides of streets, planting (and unplanting) trees, making golf links, etc., for local bodies, instead of working on productive work such as river protection work (which is very badly needed), clearing and draining land that can be made to pay back this gift money with interest indirectly by means of increased production? It is rather peculiar that no branch of the Farmers’ Union ever advocated that the present and future Governments should be encouraged to revalue all land in New Zealand according to its productive value. Then all farmers would be independent of Government help of all kinds.—Yours, etc., L. M. TURVEY. Otautau, December 2, 1937.