VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

Taranaki Daily News, 17 April 1935, Page 7

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

VIEWS ON CURRENT TOPICS ARE OUR FARMERS BANKRUPT? , POSITION OF TRADESPEOPLE. X. ' • (To the Editor.) ;; Sir,—This question of the wholesale bankruptcy of farmers is what the Victorians would have called “vastly intriguing.” Just at the moment, opposing, parties are trying to persuade the general public—and even perhaps the farmers, poor souls—on the one hand that the position of the man on the land is really financially sound, and. on the other,that it lies over a quaking bog, whose surface may give way at any minute. For my part, I think that the people who could throw -most light on the subject, apart from farmers themselves, are the tradespeople and storekeepers. In your columns’ this .morning I read that 90 per cent, of rates have been collected. Naturally one’s outlook is largely, influenced by one’s own experience, but " reading between the lines I can see that for the month in which the rates were paid by each individual some baker, butcher, grocer or other supplier of life’s necessaries had to wait for the settlement of his account. We know that normally, during the winter (the unproductive months) bills will accumulate : a little, to be settled up when spring ■ and summer come again. But for the ■ last five years this seasonal settlement’ ■ has become harder and harder and pro- : bably for the last two years, impossible. 1 So that the farmer has had to choose ■ which bill he would take a dash at, ■ and the creditor who was pressing hardest at the nfoment got-'all the money available.

I do think this is a very general state of affairs, at least in this province, and I should be very glad to see some definite support of | my view, and gladder, still if it could be refuted. To say that a farmer is not insolvent, because he has paid his rates, is the merest fallacy, if in doing so all his other defets have had to .be pushed on one side. I am only surprised that so many small farmers have the heart to go on at all, and many of them have up to now, only kept their courage up in the hope that Government measures would be taken to make their financial' position less intolerable. ’ " ' .... : ’ / I said once before in your, columns what I say again—after the . insolvency pf the farmers'the insolvency of the market towns will follow “as, the night the' day” (Shakespeare!). 'And this thought must sow a deep disquietude in the hearts of alFwho have the interests,, of the community in mind.—l am, etc., , HELEN HARRIS. New Plymouth, April, 16. DAIRY FARMERS’ POSITION. \To the Editor.) Sir,—ln reply to Councillors Pitt and,. Murray as reported in Monday’s issue, may I ask Cr. Pitt to state how much mortgage money in Taranaki is jh arrears, so that I may see -whether it corresponds with the rates. As regards Cr. Murray’s reference, if we would try ' to control our own internal affairs and not other countries’ I am sure we farmers would be in a very different position.' The'reason for this fetter is that such statements are very misleading to people who pre not farming, and who ask why we farmers do not pay better wages .to the men employed on our farms.\ If the" statement "made by Cr. Pitt is'true,' what has this-"recent legislation been brought down" for?—l am, etc., ' MEMBER, W.D.F.U. Stfatfora/April 16.#>./" ' ...