818 



Speech by the Minister of Agriculture. 



[Dec, 



to have his own way in everything that he thinks is right for the 

 particular industry which he represents, because very often there 

 are other considerations far more serious to the nation than 

 even the rights or the prosperity of a particular industry, even 

 of an industry so important as agriculture. At the present 

 moment we are faced with a rise in the price of the loaf, at a 

 time of industrial unrest, which has come to a most disastrous 

 point to-day in the launching of this coal strike. There are 

 dangers ahead of us this winter so grave that every man must 

 be prepared, so far as he is able, to sink his own personal 

 interest, and the interest of his pocket, if thereby he can better 

 safeguard the interests of the nation. 1 am convinced that in 

 these matters one never appeals to the patriotism of the agri- 

 cultural community in vain. They have rendered services, not 

 only during the War, but in every crisis of the country's history, 

 which have been at least equal to those of any other section of 

 the community. I know if they are asked to be patient with 

 regard to this matter the appeal will not be made to deaf ears. 

 I would ask them also, in their own selfish interest, to consider 

 this, that if at the same moment that it has become necessary 

 for a rise in the price of the loaf to take place, it were announced 

 that an additional price was to be given to farmers for their 

 wheat this year, over and above that which was promised, and 

 which was the basis of an understanding six months ago, I 

 believe there would be an outcry, and an amount of industrial 

 unrest which would do far more harm to the farming industry 

 in the long run, and to the position of farmers generally, than 

 they would gain from the small financial benefit which they would 

 get at the moment. But that does not alter my view that these 

 controls of prices are bad for production, and it is because they 

 are bad for production that I have opposed them, and done 

 my best to get rid of them at the earliest possible moment. It 

 is quite clear, and after all it is only the economic law, that 

 controls of this kind result in short supply. De-control, on the 

 other hand, means stimulus to production. We have seen that 

 again and again, and I believe it is practically a law of nature. 

 The poHcy, or the principle, which I have been pressing upon 

 the Government and Parliament during the time that I have been 

 at the Ministry of Agriculture, has been practically this, that 

 free conditions breed enterprise." That is what the farming 

 industry needs more than anything else in the world. 



Control of Bad Farming. — So far as I am concerned, the • 

 only control that I want to see retained, and that I shall fight to 



