Weekly Broadcasts

Start Date
01 January 1943
End Date
31 December 1944
Notes
The National Library of Australia is using this item to test handwritten text recognition in Trove
Physical Context
MS 4936-Papers of Sir Robert Menzies/Class. Original Consignment/Series 6/File 34
View Finding Aid

Text

Ho 6.  

Bro adcas by the Rt» Hon. R. G. Menzles, K.C., M.P  

9th July, 19 4-5 »  

RURAL POLICY,  

The new Federal Parliament may have good deal to do with the  

Peace Settlement, and the great and complex problem of reconstruction®  

At this stage only the outlines of any constructive thinking can be  

stated» But at least we may clear our minds as to the general  

principles to be pursued» We shall face our future difficulties more  

boldly if we have some understanding of their nature and have some  

ideal system in our minds  

Tonight want to speak on rural reconstruction: The problem  

of our rural Industries is in every sense primary* In view of absurd  

misrepresentations of my own attitude, want to make it clear that in  

my opinion there cannot be prosperous Australia with bankrupt  

countryside there can be no healthy badance in our social and  

political structure if there is depopulated countryside there can  

be no adequate contribution by Australia to revival of world trade  

and restoration of living standards unless strong primary industries  

are able to export their products competitively to the world’s markets*  

Hot one of these things can be achieved merely by annual  

palliatives or grants» Vie must have long-range plans and ideas if  

stability and contentment and good living are to come to those who  

work on the land« What must our objectives be? It is important to  

formulate them with care in truly Hational terms. As see them, they  

are ‘~(a) the raising of the standards of rural labour so that the  

attraction of high wages in the cities may diminish and the drift of  

young countrymen to the cities be arrested;  

(b) the reduction of the effects of seasonal fluctuations by  

really National attack upon the problems of water storage and distrib-  

ution, of wind and water erosion, and of the fullest and most scientific  

use of the soil;  

(c) the Improvement of the amenities of country life by cheap  

electric power, good roads, efficient transport, vastly better  

educational facilities, and the like;  

(d) the cheapening of production by extended scientific training  

and research, the co-operative use of special and expensive plant, the  

reduction of delivery costs, and other similar measures;  

(e) the raising of the (over all' price level of primary  

products by Improved markets and, where necessary, stabilisation  

schemes to enable the Improved standards of rural labour to be sustained  

and the efficient rural industries themselves to be conducted on  

reasonable basis of profit*  

Let me elaborate some of these principles briefly: It is  

useless to think that we can solve the country problem by using few  

phrases suchas ”the drift to the city” or ”decentralisation”» There  

will always be drift to the city if most of the primary industries  

(wool growing is one notable exception) are unable to pay wages to  

their employees which compare with the wages available in city factories  

Good farms require good and experienced farm workers and must be  

enabled to retain them* The wheat farmer, the dairy farmer, will at  

once retort: ”How on earth can we pay more? We have hard enough  

battle as it is,” agree* But the solution is not to depress rural  

wages; for that will ultimately denude the country of competent  

workers» The solution Is to aim at efficient and adequately  

remunerated rural industries which can afford to keep good and  

experienced and efficient and properly paid workers®  

Again, the gamble/  

 

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