STANDARD PRICES FOR AGRICULTURE [To the Editor of TIIE SPECTATOR]
STANDARD PRICES FOR AGRICULTURE [To the Editor of TIIE SPECTATOR]
Sir,—Under this heading in your Weekly Notes you discus'; this question with much less than the fairness which we are accustomed to expect from you.
May I say that I do not know how large and influential a body the Conservative Agricultural Committee is, but I do know that not many farmers would urge the Government to establish standard prices nor would they ask the Government to guar:tr.- tee prices and consider "how the money is to be raised"? In commenting on this last phrase you seem to forget that "what is guid to gi'e canna be ill to tak." In the case of coal and motor-cars farmers know very well how the money is raised, the former by an arbitrary addition of one-third to the price, and the latter probably by much more.
You then go on to threaten Agriculture with public control similar to that in Germany and Russia which is so scathingly denounced in an article by Paul Einzig in another column. We know, of course, that you do not hold yourself responsik le for signed articles, but if you had read this one carefully, your Weekly Notes would have been couched in milder terms.
Your last sentence is the most unkind cut of all. How can anyone dare to say that Agriculture is a burden to the com- munity? The boot is altogether on the other leg. To prove this I have only to mention : (1) that the poor Agricultural labou: e: works 50 to 63 hours per week and receives 37s. or 38s., while the motor mechanic works 35 hours and receives, I am told, up to five times as much money, and (2) that the profits of the motor-car industry far exceed the profits of the whole of Agriculture in the United Kingdom.—Yours faithfully, Kerse, Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire. J. G. GILCHRIST.
Previous page
