RAW WOOL COSTS BUT 8 SHILLINGS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18012, 24 November 1926, Page 1

RAW WOOL COSTS BUT 8 SHILLINGS.

" YET FARMER HAS TO PAY TEN GUINEAS FOR HIS NEW SUIT.” HON A. D. M’LEOD SETS POSER FOR CITY CRITICS. (Special to the “ Star.") WELLINGTON, November 24. That the land settlement problem cannot bo easily solved and tfiat city critics are not very ccunpetent to help, is tho tone takne by the Hon A. D. M'Leod, Minister of Lands, when he wa-s asked to comment on the situation following the recent important conference to discuss the subject in Auckland. "If the scant space given by the Auckland Press in reporting a threehour discussion on land problems is an .indication of the importance of the subject to the people of this Dominion,” said Mr M’Leod, "then it is only of passing note compared with the importance of beauty competitions.’’ "Abuot 250 people were present at the meeting, and not less than fifteen took an active part in the discussion; the majority of the speakers expressing the opinion that unless means could be devised for greatly reducing the cost of production it would be worse than useless to attempt to bring in any considerable proportion of the unoccupied Crown lands. The general trend of the discussion showed that while inflated values caused by the war boom had played their full part in to-day’s problems in respect of settled lands, it was far from being the only cause, as less than 25 per cent of the occupied buildings of the Dominion changed hand: during the boom for other than nonspeculative reasons.

Alarming Costs of Farming. “What is alarming so many of our practical farmers who have been in occupation of second and third-grade lands for twenty years and longer,” continued the Minister, “is the fact that while in pre-war days they could comfortably meet the expense required to check reversion to manuka and other second growths which are recognised as an ever-recurring charge on such lands, they find that to-day the increase in labour and other costings is retarding improvements, preventing maintenance, and in some cases resulting in abandonment of holdings. Consequently any commission of inquiry competent to advise on this phase of an ecdiomic problem, w'iiich is seriously affecting other countries as well as our own, will be welcomed not only by the settlers, but also by the Government, both of whom are equally anxious to lind a solution. “On. the one hand the settlers are receiving a bare pre-war return for their produce, while on the other the cost of practically every farm necessity has increased not less than 100 per cent. All these points were strongly stressed by every practical farmer who spoke at tlie conference, but apparently it did not strike the attention of the Press representatives present, as those opinions were not featured in the report of tne proceedings. A Farmer on “City Boosters.’' “While city agents and such boosters are urging men to go out and be the ‘backbone’ of the country, the farmer is inquiring why it is necessary .for the city newspapers to maintain an increase of 100 per cent in the price of their papers; why it is that although the farmer receives about 8s for the raw wool required to make a suit, when he goes along to his tailor for the finished article the price is ten guineas; why it is that although he sells his fruit on the farm at less than a penny per pound, when he goes to the shop to buy it back again it costs him anything up to sixpence ; why it is, when he seeks to obtain some control of what he produces “he is called a Bolshevik and is informed that no Britisher will stand for pricefixing, while at the same time he knows that everything he needs is as effectually controlled as if fixed by the laws of the Medes and Persians? These are the things the farmer wants to have answered by his city critics, who tell him to be a good boy, go out back, and don’t ask inconvenient questions. “Here is a letter which I am sorry to say is typical of many I receive. Although short, it speaks volumes:— “ ‘I have been sixteen years on this place, carving a home out of the bush. Until 1821, although we often went short, we managed to battle through, but since then things have got steadily worse. This year I am sorry to say we are right up against it; the wife had another little one (making five now)) and the doctor’s bill for this apd the dentist's charges for, seeing to the other children’s teeth ran into £33. Our rent comes to £3B a year, and we were wondering whether you could see your way, sir, to remit it or postpone it for this year.’ ”