The Consumers' Interest. 97 



industry there is no reason why they should apologise for 

 doing so, but there is equally no reason why they should 

 assume a virtue they do not possess, or make claims 

 against the community which are not justified by services 

 rendered. 



If the landowners and farmers find that they cannot 

 continue under the conditions obtaining, the community 

 will have to accept responsibility for carrying on the 

 industry. The conditions will undoubtedly be more severe 

 and only the most efficient are likely to survive. 



Whether the agricultural industry in this country can 

 successfully compete against foreign produce is a question 

 on which it would be unwise to dogmatise on the infor- 

 mation at our disposal. The landowners and farmers 

 have evidently no faith that they can do so in corn-growing 

 at any rate, otherwise they would not demand to be sub- 

 sidised by the taxpayers. I have adduced sufficient evidence 

 to show that part of the failure in the industry is due to 

 causes that it is within the power of the community to 

 remove, and if the measures I have outlined are adopted, 

 I believe part of the handicap can be removed, although 

 it will entail a fundamental change in the whole structure 

 of the industry. Whether these changes will make it 

 possible for us to produce corn at a cost that will enable 

 us to compete with overseas supplies only time can tell. 

 Before the war we imported four-fifths of our requirements 

 in wheat and flour, but all authorities are agreed that even 

 under the conditions then obtaining, the home supply 

 could have been increased if our farmers had been more 

 skilful and enterprising. With a vigorous policy of 

 weeding out the less efficient farmers and the provision 



