SOP TO FARMERS.

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17384, 21 April 1928, Page 10

SOP TO FARMERS.

GUINNESS'S HINT OF GRADING BILL BETTER SHARE IN HOME MARKET. A discussion on agriculture, during which strong criticisms of Government inaction were made in all parts of the House, produced in the British House of Commons a promise of a new Bill dealing with the grading of agricultural produce. No details of the proposed measure were given. The debate was instituted by Lieut.Col. Aeland-Troyte (C, Tiverton), who called on the Government to provide without delay all practical measures to relieve the heavy burdens on agriculture in view of the acute and continued depression now causing serious hardship to the whole agricultural community. His proposals included: Relief of agricultural land and buildings from local rates. Tax on malting barley. Reduced taxation on whisky and beer. Restrictions on cider imports. Larger grants from the Road Fund for the upkeep of rural roads, and supplying naval and military forces with British produce —including British meat twice a week at least.

Growing Cereals At Loss. He expressed great concern at the effect of the recent order prohibiting the use of preservatives in cream, and wondered what would happen to the trade in the summer time, since fresh cream from the dairies would then turn sour before reaching its destination. Lieut-Col. E. Ruggles-Brise (C, Maldon) seconded in an attractive speech which caught the car of the House.

Mr Lloyd George, though the subject of attack in it, walked across the floor of the House afterwards to congratulate the speaker personally on his effective style.

In the Eastern Counties, said Col. Ruggles-Brise, farmers were now actually producing cereals at a loss, and were being driven therefore from their proper task into competition with those cultivating grass lands, so that the latter, the producers of meat an/ milk, had to compete not only with the foreigner but also with other British farmers, and the true balance of the agricultural industry was being upset. \ remedy for the present adverse tra'de balance could be found in the production of more home-grown wheat.

Humbugging Farmers.

Mr Ellis Davics (Liberal, Denbigh) agreed with a statement by the National Farmers' Union that the Government was humbugging the farmers-

Mr Walter Guinness, the Minister of Agriculture, in a rapid reply, rejected mast of the proposals. A tax on imported malt barley would, he said, increase the price of foodstuffs for live stock and, since the brewers would rather pay any tax than go back to heavy, cloudy beer, would be ineffective for its purpose. It was hoped by a Bill for grading the produce to enable the farmer to get a better share in his own market at the expense of the- foreigner. The Government was examining the assessment of local rating in its entirety in the interests not only of farmers but also of all producers. Licut-Gol. Acland-Troyte's motion L was agreed to.