N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 1600, 31 May 1924, Page 21 (Supplement)

N.Z. FARMERS' UNION.

NEWS FRORI HEADQUARTERS (By R. Alexander, official reporter.) The Northern delegates engaged upon the "Dominion Rally" are still in the South doing good work. Reports indicate that satisfactory meetings have been held in many places and interest in the Union stimulated. The Financial Position. In the course of an article specially written for the Farmers' Union, Mr Massey makes reference to the operations of the Stale Advances Department, and the view he puts forth concerning the loans granted ro farmers of late certainly do not seem to flt in with the opinions held by many mem-' hers of the Auckland Executive. It will be recalled that the difficulties recently placed in the way of the farmer in obtaining financial assistance were reported to be so great that special investigations were decided upon, with Iho result that evidence of vexatious delays came to the head office from all over the province. Some applications were delayed over 12 to 15 months without results, and the Union felt that a great deal of the. money was going into the cities. Yet in the course of his review, Mr Massey says: "The year has been a particularly busy one in the Advances Office. From April 1, 1923, to April 30, 1924, the net amount paid out to 7743 borrowers was £6,639,241. The greater part of the amount has been lent to settlers, either as new mortgages or in paying off old mortgages which had fallen due, and so assisting to lessen the difficulty when the term of the moratorium expires. This is a record that has never been approached during any similar period, and must have done an immense amount of good, net only to the people who were able to obtain the money, but in making money for investment, more plentiful, and therefore preventing the rate of interest increasing abnormally. It will be easily understood that il was quite impossible to keep up this rate of lending, and the Department have had to slow clown for the time being. In the meantime no applications .-ire being received for the purchase of houses, no r -, unless in very exceptional cases, will lending for this latter purpose he resumed. What we need is to increase the number of houses, and there is very little gained by a house, which has already been erected, changing hands. A certain amount of money has been lent to local bodies, but as the limit is £SOOO for this purpose, local bodies have mostly to go to lending institutions and other departments." .... ..

The Position Vague,

Now, while it may be quite true that the State Advances Department has had a very busy year, and the total amount lent constitutes a record, there is no satisfactory proof given that the farmers have got their fair share. The term "settler" has lately been given a very wide interpretation and it seems hardly credible that there should be so much discontent amongst the farmers if the money hud found its way into rural channels. It is possible that the Government has seen the error of its ways, and called a halt, hut tr-ffoubtcdly a great deal of money went into' the cities before the awakening came. Mr Massey, himself, admits this in his article when be Bays: "It will be easily understood that it was impossible to keep up this: rate of lending, and the Department have had to siow down for the time being. In the meantime no applications are being received for the purchase of houses nor, unless in very exceptional cases, will lending for this latter purpose be resumed." The halt has come .none too soon, and the chances are it would not have come at all if the Union had not entered its protest. As an instance of what Was taking place Captain Colbeck stated at a recent Executive meeting that he knew of a case in which a city man drawing a salary of £IOOO raised a mortgage of £2OOO from the Department on his house property in the city. Yet farmers needing money for development have been held up, and we are told it will be necessary to "go slow."

The Way Out. The farmers do not want-to hamper Mr Massey's Government by unnecessary or unjustifiable criticism but they do want the right to light their own way out "of the financial difficulties which surround them. They need money on reasonable terms to increase production and prevent large areas of land "going back." Unless ihis money is forthcoming the prosperity of the whole Dominion will be affected. The farmer can see his way out by the establishment of the Agricultural Bank and utilisation of bis own securities upon sound business lines. Why should there be delays of 12 to 15 months in granting loans to applicants? An Agricultural Bank run for farmers by farmers would fix up the deal in a month with profit and safety all round, and the Union is sincerely hoping that Mr Massey will show a change of heart in this important mat. ter. The meeting of the Dominion Eexecutive this month shows that, many matters of interest, to farmers have been discussed, including a number of subjects which wore sent forward by the Auckland Executive. It will probably be recalled that Mr Scott, one of the representatives of the Poultry Association on the Executive, raised some time ago t the grievance of the heavy cost which was entailed upon the poultrymen of the country by the purchase of fowl wheat. As a consequence the Minister has notified the Dominion Executive that lhe importation of fowl wheat would be controlled by Government, and that it would be distributed in as equitable a way as possible and at a price which would be satisfactory to poultry men. To assist the industry the Agricultural Department had also decided to obtain statistics as to the total quantities of eggs in shell and pulp, frozen whites and yolks, held in store on March 31 and July 31 in each year. 'This, how., ever, did not satisfy the Auckland .delegates, and Messrs Ross and Harding moved the following resolution, which was carried ; "Thai a. strong, protest oe made to the "Minister of Agriculture on the present position with regard to fowl wheat, as Ihis Executive considers that lhe only .solution of lhe difficulty is Lo import the fowl wheat required for their industry/'

On the motion,of Messrs Harding and Hicks the following resolution was carried: —"That the Government be asked to give sympathetic consideration to legislation encouraging and developing the interests of poultry farmers."

Assessment of Duties. It will be remembered that at a meeting of the Auckland Executive comment was made upon the difficulty in the way of understanding, or paying, customs duties upon parcels sent through country postmasters. Thi country dweller has, so far, been compelled to take "pol luck" with his as_ sessments, but it is useful to know that tho following points have been made clear as the result of the Union's representations: CI) No postmaster has power to assess Customs duties at ail; this is done only by Customs officials; (2) any letter suspected of containing dutiable goods is opened by the addressee in the presence of a postal authority; (3) the article, or articles, if dutiable, are then-forwarded to the chief post office there to be examined by a Customs official and duiy assessed. This is the official reply, but after all it leaves the position much the same—'that the dweller in the couutry has much difficulty with his customs entries. In all these matters, nevertheless, the farmer will unci his Union taking active interest. Used Timber Lands. The attention of the Executive was, some months ago, drawn to the fact that in parts of Iho Province used limber lands held under lease, where being allowed,, to go back into rubbish and weeds before being made open for selection for permanent settlement. The solution of the difficulty wsa not found easily, but finally the Auckland Executive decided that the best way out was to enforce the burning, grassing, and fencing of such lands during the summer months. On the motion of two Auckland representatives it was decided to forward this decision to the State Forest Service. Should the Department remain apathetic, of course, nothing may be done, but many farmers realise that action is necessary, especially so when it is declared by the Agricultural Department that "active attention was being given •to the prevention of the spread of noxious weeds."