ARCHIVE FILE
This article was published in 1941
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INSTITUTE OF INSPECTORS OF STOCK OF N.S.W. YEAR BOOK.
ORGANISATION AND CO-OPERATION OF RURAL INDUSTRIES
By J. N. McCULLOCH.
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen.
You may think I have chosen a rather ambitious subject, a subject which certainly could not be dealt with adequately here, nor for that matter am I competent to deal with it adequately, or to follow the social and political ramifications of the issues envolved.
Personally, I have to admit feeling somewhat like a man who is lost on a dark night, on one of those expansive wind-swept "Claypans" in the Far West. The few tracks which could be picked up in daylight are not now visible, even by car light. The benighted man wanders round aimlessly, and unless he has taken the precaution to map his direction by the stars he can do little but wait for daylight Unfortunately for us, in the present world turmoil, the Stars of Destiny are very befogged and the direction hard to find, but we cannot afford to sit down and wait for daylight. We must, by all means possible, endeavour to find our way across this political and economic wasteland, where the tracks are being obliterated. We feel, I am sure, that we should be doing more than routine work, that the knowledge and experience which we have accumulated should be used to the full, in assisting in the general welfare of our country, especially in rural industries. The question is how can this knowledge and experience be used to the best advantage? Into what channels could it be turned in order that we might feel satisfied we are adding our full quota of man-power in the general task which lies ahead?
We must do our utmost, and do it honestly, if we wish to retain those ideals which we consider makes life worth living. Australia will have a wonderful future if we are prepared to fight for the best we already have and the better which lies ahead.
Much literature and thought has been given to the organisation of rural industries in recent years and the present situation has intensified the need for reform. Although some steps have been taken to stabilise and control the produce from the soil, the results do not appear to be very satisfactory, judging from the many and varied protests from the rural community. Whether this is due to immature Governmental methods or to lack of rural co-operation, one is not prepared to say, probably both sides have faults to rectify, but in spite of failure and dissatisfaction the urgent need for a better system of rural production and distribution remains. The problem is undoubtedly difficult to handle and requires the best brains of all interested. Probably one of the most difficult questions to solve is, how to obtain full co-operation between the Official and Rural mind.
The man on the land detests dictation. He is the "naughty" boy grown up, like the child, who resists the bossing parent or the bullying teacher, and will not be deterred by threats of punishment from playing up, so the farmer is apt to "stick his toes in." He sees Nazism in Officialism. He laughs at official mistakes and pits his experience against scientific knowledge. The difficult boy may be handled by the psychologist and his annoying traits and wrong impulses may be turned into the right channels to the benefit of the community. Should not many of our problems be dealt with on similar lines? It is realised that this is a debatable question, and you may ask me, "Is it proposed to hand over our rural problems to the psychologist?" The answer is yes and no, but with regards to the question of co-operation this can be dealt a with in no other way. True co-operation is only brought about by tact, by sweet reasonableness, by the blending of divergent thoughts into a scheme whereby the ideals of our dreams become actual facts. Hitler may think he can dictate to a conquered world, but if his methods are those of the bully his defeat is sure. Take a lesser star for example, that of a Stock Inspector. Under the acts he administers he has many dictatorial powers. If he so desires he may be a little Dictator, but most of us, I think, have learnt from experience that it is not wise to take this attitude, if other means will suffice. If we lose the confidence and sympathy of the community we have lost our greatest assets of control and dictatorial powers will do little to assist us. It therefore appears to me there is a great need for a blending, a dovetailing of the Official and Rural mind, and it is at this juncture where we, Stock Inspectors, should be able to come into the scheme of things and be of most service to the community. Our experience of land matters and of the rural mind should fit us for the job of correlating the wishes of our Department, the experimental knowledge of the scientist, with the interests of rural industries. Our position is somewhat unique and our services in the scheme of organisation and co-operation should be used to the utmost. If we can and do assist in bringing about a better understanding between Departmental policies and rural interests then we are surely doing a worthy part in the effort to stabilise and modernise the life of the community.
As stated before, the man on the land is in some respects a difficult person to handle. He is an individualist born and bred. He is suspicious of interference, especially Departmental. In many respects this attitude may be justified by facts, or at least facts as seen from his viewpoint. Take, for instance, a case which came under my notice recently. A young educated man bought a farm in the Cumberland district, with the intention of going into the pig-raising industry. He has built good sheds,etc., and is renovating and top-dressing his pastures. The running expenses were carefully worked out before he went into the venture and the proposition looked reasonably sure. He had one important element with which to gamble, viz. the price of pigs in the "open market." Owing to the shortage of bacon overseas and reports in the papers of the need for more pigs, it looked an "odds-on" venture, but unfortunately the bottom has fallen out of his venture. The price of pigs in the open market has fallen far below the margin of profit he anticipated, and in order to "save" he must acquire cheaper food. Wheat is one of the main items on his ration card, but he cannot go direct to the wheat farmer in the hopes of obtaining it more cheaply, for wheat is stabilised and must be bought through a Board at a stabilised price, therefore this commodity is crossed off his list and he is at a loss to find a substitute. If the price of pigs in the open market remains below his margin of profit he liquidates, and so we have another disillusioned embittered man on the labour market. He is typical of many small farmers in other branches of rural industries. These men work harder than the average man of the community and have so much with which to contend. There are the periods of droughts, alternating with flush years when fires, blowflies and disease often take a greater toll of their produce than that of the lean year, and, to cap all, the Middlemen, and the city dweller who demands cheap food at any price, are waiting to secure their share of spoil in the "open market." In peace time, in spite of the scrambling and clawing after filthy lucre, we do manage to live moderately well, but under present conditions all preconceived ideas are liable to be blown out at any moment and leave us groping on our wind-swept "Claypan." There is confusion and disillusion lurking at our door and we cry, "What must I do to be saved." To me it appears that, in order to set our house in order, we must endeavour to find our true perspective under the new order. The war has taught us the value of specialised Organisation, can we learn the value of true Co-operation. Therein lies our fate, therein lies the secret of true Democracy and the fulfilment of many dreams. To sum up, there are at least three simple lines of action whereby we could be of great use to the community at the present critical period of our history.
1. By Service—in doing our job well.
2 By Service—in assisting to co-ordinate the work and life of the Soil with the work and life of the Office and the Town.
3. By Service—in helping to build up the ideals of true democracy, remembering "the rank is but the guinea's stamp, the man's the gowd for a' that."