The nonpartisan leader. [volume], July 19, 1920, Image 6

About The nonpartisan leader. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1915-1921

Image provided by: State Historical Society of North Dakota

                
,.r... BY J. J. HALL
(Editor" Fartnfets' Advocate, Melbourne^ Australia)
HE general, election for the federal
parliament in December last saw the
birth of what has since been christen
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 assembling' 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
ject of so many friendly references. The man with
the hoe has at last become a factor in Australian
politics.
The population of Australia is divided 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 wprds,
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 salt 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 efficiency.
Ample provision for the1 future of returned sol-*
diers and their dependents.
Encouragement of all industries which the war
has shown to be essential to national existence.
Proportional representation of,producers tn all
boards or commissions dealing with producers' in
terests.
L,~ Free trade between the six states of Australia and
|fp! no restriction or embargoes: on
ifp$. .exportation.
W& Limitation of all interference
with commerce and the price of
commodities by the operation of
'trusts, combines and trade rings.
Encouragement of all forms
.qf co-operative 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
kept within the lowest -limit con
gistent with national safety.
Extension of the common
wealth shipping line by the in
j- elusion of large and fast steam
ers, with sufficient 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.,,
and a fair
against class warfare and the
principle of arbitration as the
medium of settling labor trouble.
n,vr
1
9 9
V» 'S «.• S
1 a
v'1
•••.
wage and a fair standard ofv^fl
comfort for all classes. The en- "This picture was taken at the fourth ailnual conference of the Victorian Farmers* union, held
couragement of co-operation as Melbourne, Australia, September, 1919. Editor Hall says, in sending this picture
should eay that it would be hard to distinguish .this gathering from a eomren
tion of American farmers. They are also faced with similar prob
lema and have eet out in like manner jor their
ers in
Like the Nonpartisan Leaguers, They Seek to Get Rid of Unfair
Middlemen and Secure Honest Government
In Australia they have winter while
we are having summer and harvest
their crops while we are planting ours.
But- in Australia the rapacious middle
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 America, the
organized farmers are winning their
political battles. Northwestern farm
era will be glad to re$d the story, on
this page, of the success of their broth
ers of the South Seas. Everywhere
the fanners are organizing and every
where organization is bringing success.
Cheapening and extending production by admitH
ting into the commonwealth free of duty the tools
of trade for primary production coming, from with
in the British empire.
Abolition of the duty on jute goods, such "ai *1
corn and 'chaff sacks and wool packs.
I ha on of in an
is stressed. On account of {he war, the indebted
ness, of the commonwealth has, in common with
other British dominions, been tremendously inflat
ed. The position has been made more difficult by a
large increase in our domestic or ordinary expendi-'
ture. The number of public departments has been
increased and the payroll has shown abnormal
growth. The primary producers of Australia cheer
fully voted .the financial commitments for the Wa*^.
and_ repatriation, but are concerned as to
the^/-Jeral
liquidation. The "politicians have throughout im
plored the primary producers to increase production
as the way out. That is truly the national policy
and need. Curiously, the politicians of all shades
of., opinion make this appeal almost exclusively to
the primary producers from the soil.
The primary producers are prepared to shoulder5
the burden and are anxious to respond to the na
tional appeal but they seek the opportunity 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^o, doubt American agriculturists are aware thatf^
if'
a*
5-
J" W ^,1,
m"~*
PAGE SIX
t,
Australian products were sold at much lower priccs
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.'V
(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 part
not required for local consumption sold to- the
British imperial food control. Since the armistice,
in consequence of an improvement in the shipping
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
I,..'
The Australian wheat grower can exonerate Jiimfe*'
self from any charge of profiteering, inasmuch as
this wheat was sold to the state governments at.
7s. 8d. ($1.90) per bushel at a moment when_east
ern aitd Mediterranean countries were paying'from:
9s. ($2.26) per bushel for inferior wheat (damaged
through prolonged storage at the ports) and up to.
lis. ($2.75) for best wheat in the form of flour.
Australian producers not only claim the oppo^'
tunity of getting better prices for their products
by the lifting of the various controls and embargoes
our export, but demand a larger return to them in'
the proceeds of the sale. There has been too large
a- diversion of the results of the yearns work front
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 effect
tive government, and ir seeking to cut out unnec
essary middlemen by developing Ins co-operative
trading companies.
.To have started this article by
4 1
t?
f66tliniS^the
activities of the farmers' movement in Ave*-?
tralia is like putting "the cart before the horse.
The Australian Farmers' Federal organization wag
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' association, which has a history of
some 20 years. Next in order of seniority is that"15
of the' Farmers and Settlers' association df West-'
ern Australia, which is eight years old. Then
come the infants of the movement, the South Aus
tralian Farmers and Settlers' association aiid the
Victorian Farmers' union, five and four years of
age. In Queensland and Tasmania thejr^jire al^,
associations of primary producers. Z*''
In «ach of the six states, with the exception
Tasmania, the farmers' associa
®kions now run candidates for the
ffed-
Wstate legislatures and have had
striking successes.
,• In Western Australia sufficient
•.^members were returned at: the®
election by the Cototry pari
||!^ty as to influence the course of
'rfMegialation.
In 1917 the Victpriau Farn®
ifcders' union contested 11 seats at
'Vthe state general election and
won five. The* Victorian State
party now numbers eight as the
result of by-elections. There are
seats in the lower house of
||the Victorian parliament, and
p%®bout 30 «re 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
returning 20 of its candidates
the party will emerge as the
aj^strongest in the house and be in
position to form the govern*
ment.
„In New South Wales the stated
general election is at present
^^yt'jproceeding and the Country
?arty has every prospect of
Considerably augmenting its
Strength and- should number at