PARLIAMENT IS PROROGUED.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18636, 4 August 1930, Page 9

PARLIAMENT IS PROROGUED.

King’s Speech From Throne CHANCELLOR OUTLINES RURAL POLICY. United Press Association— By Electric T e 1 egraph—Copyrigh t (Received August 3, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, August 1. The King's Speech at the prorogation of Parliament refers to the signature of the London Naval Treaty by “my Governments in the United Kingdom, Dominions and India.” in which many important points of agreement were reached. The hope is expressed that France and Italy at no very distant date will participate in an agreement, fiixing for a period, the total tonnage limit for certain categories of warships. Sincere disappointment is expressed at the failure of the recent negotiations for an Anglo-Egyptian settlement, coupled with a hope that a successful conclusion may soon be reached. The Speech welcomes the opportunities afforded by the forthcoming meeting of the Imperial Conference for the promotion of common concern. The gravest anxiety is expressed at the high level to which unemployment and world-wide trade depression has risen during the last year. Agricultural Policy. The Government’s agricultural policy was stated in the House of Commons by the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Snowden), who said the Government had given anxious consideration to the problem, with especial regard to the desirability of increasing employment on the land, with good standards of living. Recognising that this could only be assured through prosperity in that industry, a proposal will be submitted for making land more freely available for small cultivators, and affording them adequate security of tenures. The scheme will be undertaken whereby a contribution may be made in mitigation of unemployment by the creation of a special class of allotments, and of market garden and poultry holdings, up to five acres for suitable unemployed workers. An Agricultural Land Utilisation Corporation will be established to condact. on one hand, large scale farming managed on business principles, with the particular object of affording to the agriculturalists practical training in business management, and, on the other hand, additional demonstration farms of various types, in different parts of the country, designed to secure the quicker and more general adoption of every agricultural improvement. Plight of Wheat Industry. It is pointed out that the question of the condition of cereal farmers In different parts of the Empire will bo discussed at the forthcoming Imperial Conference, with special reference tn bulk purchase, import boards, and the stabilisation of prices. As soon as the decisions of the Imperial Conference are known, the Government will undertake whatever practicable steps can be devised to put cereal growing in this country on an economic foundation. An Agricultural Marketing Bill is foreshadowed, which contemplates the organisation of two distinct types: (1) Of the well-known pool type; and (2) of a regulatory type, concerned more with the craft of marketing than with physical control, and the handling of the product, and which, after the manner of a Board of Directors, would formulate a coherent marketing policy for the Home product, and carry it into effect. Financial assistance, by way of both long and short term loans, will be available for these commodity marketing Beards. Other features of the proposed policy cover the development of agricultural education and research, and the conditions and housing of the agricultural labourer. Too Much Wheat. Wheat experts consider that the international position is becoming serious and the future outlook is showing little promise of any improvement. According to “Broomhill's Com Trade News,” the preliminary figures show that the harvest in the principal wheat-growing countries is likely to be 511,000,000 quarters, compared with 486,000,000 quarters last year. The fact is too much wheat is grown. The figures point to a further period of abundance and low prices.