A NATIONAL QUESTION

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 86, 2 July 1927, Page 26

A NATIONAL QUESTION

ASSISTING THE FARMER SOUTH AFRICAN PROBLEMS “It is difficult to exaggerate the national importance of farming, but it must not be spoon-fed, as by doing so a false sense of security would be created in an industry which is vital to the nation’s welfare.” With these words Sir Abe Bailey introduced an important speech in South Africa recently. The speech created considerable interest in the Union and many of his observations are applicable to New Zealand. “Agriculture broadens the basis of prosperity,” he continued. “There is no prosperity like agricultural prosperity, which throws its influence over the whole community, feeding the population as it does and creating a home market for other industries. “The success of the agricultural industry was not only a farmer’s question but a national one.” he said, and added: “The Government must assist the farmers who have been knocked out through no fault of their own. We canont afford to see them driven off the land: better assist them and not create more permanent unemployed and unemployables known as the poor whites. Rural credit, but not based on bills, and the agricultural post should be developed, as they are questions of the greatest importance to farmers, especially during these too frequent unfortunate periods.” The Government, said Sir Abe Bailee, should pav special attention to irrigation schemes, and experiment with great boldness, even if some of the schemes were failures from the individual point of view, as they were bound to be a success from a national point of view. The Government should make a great campaign through the Union showing the advisability of preparing the soil and using manure and fertilisers, more in favour of building silos, in favour of conserving water, and making greater use of the flood water for the veld as well as for the lands. The Government, he continued, must assist in finding and creating markets abroad and especially in England, which was South Africa’s best market, and especially by purchasing its requirements in England. It would b.> good business even if it cost a little more, and so create buying power for South Africa’s produce. They nad to remember that the English was the only open market in the world, and one which gave a preference to the produce of the Union. Rabbit Board Results in the South. —The steady destruction of rabbits is having a marked effect on the regrassing of Central Otago country, states the “Times.” A farmer- with 40 years’ experience speaking the other day said that the strychnine poisoning on methodical lines, as practised by the rabbit boards, had removed the pest to such an extent that the pastoral potentialities of the country have returned in a manner that must be very satisfactory to the holders of the land. On all hands this fact is evident, and there is five times the amount of grass on the mountainous country to-day that there was only two or three years ago.