FARMING PROSPERITY.

Waikato Times, Volume 104, Issue 17586, 15 December 1928, Page 9

FARMING PROSPERITY.

MANURING SHEEP LAND. PRODUCTION GREATLY INCREASED GOOD ROADS A NECESSITY. SHOULD PETROL TAX RISE? The reading problem in these .days puts farmers in a dilemma. They need good roads more than ever cheap transport, especially Of «rui isers for topdressing. But the cost of forming and maintaining roads lor unlimited motor traffic puts an increasing burden of rates upon them, in tne opinion of at least one prominent farmer, the way of salvation lies in an increase in the benzine tax. With me funds thus provided a more vigorous roading policy could be pursued. Better roads would mean lower transport costs; more manure would be used and production would be increased. At the same time unemployment would be diminished. This, in brief outline, was the statement .of the country's present needs given to a Times reporter by Mr_J. Barugh, a director of the Farmers Cooperative Auctioneering Company and of the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company. Lamb Production Trebled. Mr Barugh said he had been greatly impressed by the improvement m the yield from sheep farms, the King Country, since topdressing became popular in the past two or three years. It was largely as the result of articles published in tne Waikato Times and reprinted in pamphlet form that the beneficial results achieved in Tuhikaramca and other districts became known. Since then topdressing of sheep country had become general, not only in the Waikato and King Country but also on the Last Coast. There was a remarkable increase in the number of fat lambs exported. He had seen land which could hardly carry half a sheep to the acre before topdressing but which was now carrying three. This was an exceptional increase, but it was quite usual for the carrying capacity to be trebled by the application of sufficient manure. However, said Mr Barugh, the cost of carting manures over some of the back roads was prohibitive. The farmers were in any case entitled to roads by which they could get to and from their farms in winter as well as summer, but they needed good and cheap transport now more than ever. The present was a specially favourable opportunity for such measures as he had suggested; for the Lands Department was reducing the price of the land it was offering to the public Keeping Down the Rates. To meet the cost of road improvements Mr Barugh suggested that the petrol tax should be raised from 4d to Gd per gallon. The money thus provided should be spent promptly—not held back as at present. He understood that the Highways Board had about £1,000,000 in hand at present from the petrol tax. Why was the money not spent to provide better access to the land and at the same time to relieve unemployment? Motorists would probably not suffer at all from the raising of the tax. The improvement of the road surfaces would reduce their benzine consumption per mile and would greatly reduce the wear and tear on their cars. The life of a car should be lengthened at least 50 per cent. When the road formation was completed, the tax could probably be reduced because only maintenance costs would be needed. One great advantage of the petrol tax was that it was collected almost as soon as the oil came into the country, and the funds should be available immediately for road-making. Moreover, if this tax were increased, the local rates could be lowered instead of being raised higher. The rate burden was now bearing very heavily on the farmers. The present method of raising loans for road construction usually placed a permanent burden on the country; for, even when the local bodies repaid their debts to the Government, the Government did not repay what it had borrowed from England. Revenue from petrol tax should provide funds that would save us from borrowing. And besides the joyriders and everybody that used the roads would contribute their share, whereas now the whole burden fell on the landowner.

Given good roads and good farming, with plenty of topdressing, said Mr Barugh, our output of fat lambs should increase 50 per cent, in the next 10 years.