The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, July 19, 1920, Page 6

Australlan Farmers i in P011t1cs Too lee the Nonpartisan Leaguers, They Seek to Get Rid of Unfalr Mlddlemen and Secure Honest Government ‘ § BY J. J. HALL (Edltor Farmete Advocate, Melbourne, Austraha) essmenes | HE. general election for the federal parliament in December last saw the ed the Australian Country party, very like, the Nonpartisan league of: the western United States. In the elec- tion the Country party contested for 18 of the 75 # seats in the house of representatives. It won 11 .- of them and today holds the balance of power be- tween the Nationalist party (the former Liberal party with the addition of pro-conscription Labor- ites) and the anti-conscription Labor party. Since the assemblmg of parliament the leaders ; of the larger parties, in their addresses, have con- centrated their attention upon this new group, who, sitting in a compact body in their own corner of the house of representatives, give the appearance of a jury listening to the case. Never before in Australian politics have the primary producers' of the commonwealth and their industry been the sub- Jject of 80 many friendly references. The man with the hoe has at last become a factor in Australian politics. The population of ‘Australia is dlvxded about evenly between the great capital cities and: the country districts. This is known as the “curse of centralization.” One of the principal reasons for instituting the Country party was to set in mo- ' tion measures of decentralization, in other words, to so improve conditions as to maintain the exist- ing population on the land and, if possible, to at- tract farmers from the overcrowded cities. As things stand the rural producer is carrying an overweighted burden. ' Briefly, he is seeking his salvation through better politics' and co-operation in the sale of his produce and the purchase of his requirements. He has come to the conclusion that he is carrying too large an army of middlemen and distributors. The Australian Country party appealed to the' electors on the following platform: THIS IS THE PLATFORM . OF AUSTRALIAN FARMERS - Rearrangement of the functions of’ the. federal ; and state governments: to prevent conflict and se- cure greater efilclency Ample provision for the' future of returned sol-, diers and their dependents. Encouragement of all industries whlch the war has shown to be essential to national existence. Proportional representatlon of producers on all boards-or commlssmns dealing with producers’ in- terests. Free trade between the six states of Austraha and no restriction or embargoes: on 3 a exportation. : Limitation of all mterference_ with commerge and the price of ° commodities by the operation of “trusts, combines and trade rings. Encouragement of all forms of co-operatxve enterprises. : A vigorous' immigration pol- icy, care being taken in the se- lection ‘of immigrants and pref- ‘erence being given: to agricul- turists ‘and farm laborers. . Defense ‘expenditures to. be keépt within the lowest limit con~ ~ gistent with national safety. ‘Extension of the common- wealth shipping line by the in- clusion of large and fast steam- ers,”. with 'sdfficient . insulated space for the transport,of Aus- tralian perishable - products, | sueh vessels to be run at reason-. able rates and the profits there- | from to be used towards the ex- tension of the service. ’ Maintenance: - of the “living, .- wage and a fair standard of comfort for all classes. The en- couragement of co-operation: as against clags warfare and the principle of arbitration as the ot medium of settling labor trouble. el < birth of what has since been christen- - at Melbourne, Australla. Septembe 1 i should say tlmt it W‘ollld be ha 3 In Austraha they have ‘winter while 1 we are having summer and harvest their crops while we are planting ours. But'in Australia the rapacious middie- man stands between the producers and the consumer, just as he does in Amer- ica. ‘And in Australia, just as in Amer- ica, the farmers have hit upon the .correct. method for getting a square .deal—by organizing both: for co-oper- _ative marketing 'and for political ac- tion. In Australia, as in Amenca, the organized farmers are winning their political battles. Northwestern farm- ers will be glad to read the story, on this page, of the success of their broth- ers 'of the South Seas. ' Everywhere the farmers are organizing and every- where orgamzatlon is brmg'mg success. Cheapenmg and extendmg productnon by admit- ting into the commonwealth: free ‘of duty the tools of trade for prlmary production coming from thh- . in the Pritish empire. Abolition of the duty on jute goods, such BS corn and chaff sacks and wool packs. other British dommlons, been tremendously inflat- ed. The posxtlon has been made more difficult by a large increase in our domestic or ordinary expendi-- ture.. The number of public departments has bheen “increased and the payroll has ‘shown abnormal “growth. The primary producers of Australia cheer- fully voted the financial commltments for the war | “and’ repatriation, but are concerned as to their ¢ liquidation. ¢ 2 iplored the primary producers to increase production . a8 the way out. “That is truly the national policy The politicians have throughout im- and need. ' Curiously, the politicians’ of all shades of oplmon make this appeal almost exclusxvely to the primary producers from the soil. The primary producers are prepared to shoulder the burden and are anxious to respond to the na- tional appeal but they 'seek the opportumty to ex- ‘tend production.. There has been an alarming in- crease in ‘the cost of primary production. This can only be compensated by a higher level of prices - .than the Australian farmers and pastoralists: have hitherto enjoyed. J : No doubt Amerlcan agrlcultunsts are aware that- : “age. ; Austrahan pr6ducts ‘were sold at much lower pnces than anywhere else throughout ‘the world ‘during - the ‘war period. The bulk of the ‘wheat produced in the war period in Australia was sold-at 4s. 9d. (about $1.18) per bushel at the ports.’ From this ‘had to be deducted 9d. (18 cents) per bushel, in- . cluding -handling charges, freight and operating _ expenses. .The wheat was pooled by the .common- ‘wealth and state governments and the greater parf ‘not required for local consumption sold to’ the British imperial food control.. Since the armistice, in consequence of an.improvement in ‘the sluppmg position,’ gradual relaxation of governmental con- trol, and the influence of drouth conditions over the greater part of the commonwealth there have been increases in prices. : ; FARMERS DEMAND A LARGER SHARE OF SALE PRICE 'l‘he Austrahan wheat grower can exonerate hlm- self from any charge of profiteering, inasmuch ‘as ; this. wheat was sold tothe state govemments ‘at: 7s. 8d. ($1.90) per bushel at a moment when_east- . ern and Mediterranean countries were paying “from 9s. ($225) per bushel for inferior wheat (damaged “through prolonged storage at the ports) and up. to lls. ($2.75) for best wheat in the form of flour: Australian producers not only claim. the - oppor: tumty of getting better prices for their products by the lifting of the various controls and embargoes . omr export, but demand a larger return to them in' It ‘will be observed that’ the questxon\of finance' - £ is stressed. ' 'On account of fhe war, the indebted- ness of the commonwealth has, in common with -the proceeds of the sale. ' There has been too large a. dwersxon of the results of the year’s work ‘from the farm in the shape of extravagant ‘ government in the political sphere and also in a wasteful Sys- tem 'of distribution and purchase. The Australian farmer demands more economical and more effec- tive government, and is seeking to cut ont unnec-- essary middlemen by developing lus co-operative . trading companies. “To have started this ert:cle by outlming the fed- eral actxvmes of the farmers’ ‘movement in Aus: tralia is like putting ‘the cart before the horse. The Australian Farmers’ Federal organization was the ' most recent development of .the ‘movement. ‘There have been state associations for years:’ The _.oldest is that of the New South Wales' Farmers and Settlers’ assoclatlon, which has a’ hxstory ‘of some 20 years, Next in order of seniority is that' of the Farmers and Settlers’ association of West- - ern ‘Australia, which is eight years old. Then come the infants of the movement, the South Aus- - tralian Farmers and Settlers association and the Victorian Farmers’ union, five and four- years of - In Queensland and Tasmania there a:e also . associations of pnmary producers. In ‘each of the ‘six states, with the exception. of - Tasmania, the farmers’ associa- - tions'now run candidates for the i state legislatures and have had - striking successes. = - Tn Western Australia sufllclent " members were returned at the . “]ast election by the Country par-' ty as to influence the course of legislation. “ers’ ualon ‘contested 11 ‘seats at _ the state general election and - ‘won five.. The" Victorian State party now numbers eight as: the ¥ result of by'electlons There are . 64 seats in the lower house of | . the Victorian parliament, and abont 30 are definitely defined as ‘rural seats. The Country party - will contest at least 25 seats at ‘. the general election to ‘be held _this year.” Should it succeed in - ‘ the party ‘will emerge as the ; ‘strcng.est in the house and be in B cons:derably aug'mentmg ,and sb.ouldc. number at 7 4 In 1917 the‘_Vzctorlau Farm- ’ - returning 20 of its candidates -