MINISTER AND FARMERS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14980, 29 May 1914, Page 7

MINISTER AND FARMERS.

A SUCCESSFUL FUNCTION.

The dinner Inst evenir.g in connexion, with the Farmers' Conference was a distinct innovation, but it. proved a great success, ami was very largely at-

tended. The president of the North Canterbury Executive. Mr C. H. Ensor, occupied tho chair, and anions those prose;.t were the lion. A. L. Herd man.

Minister of Justice ami AttorneyGenera t, representing the Government; Messrs E. H. Staveley (president of' ihe Canterbury Chamber of Commerce), W. F. M. Bueklew W. A.

Banks, G

Shcat, G. Gardner. G. W

Lcadley, G. T. Jsooth. «?. l>. Laurenson, K. \Y. Kelph, and many others.

A fairly lon£ toast list was honoured with much enthusiasm,' and several speeches were mailo.

Mr J. B. Laurenson proposed, after tho usual loyal toast, the health of the agricultural ami pastoral industry.

JJc eulogized tho primary producers of the Dominion, and emphasised their groat importance to tho country as a

whole. Mr W. A. Banks and Mr G. \V. Leadley responded to the toast, tho Jatter dwelling upon the* fact thai the Farmers 'Union was not an aggressive but a defensive organisation, called into hcin.z by economic factors. Mr Banks delved into the past and de~ wriUcd tho conditions of farming in tho vld days, and compared them with tho present time.

Tho Chairman proposed tho toast of Tho Parliament. '

MR HERDMAX-S ADDRESS.

Iv reply, {Tie Minister, who was loudly applauded, said ho felt the honour accorded him by being iuvitod to tho Parliament of Canterbury farmers, and on behalf of. tho Now Zealand Parliament ho extended greetings to the Farmers' Parliament of Canterbury. It was desirable- for Ministers of tho Crown to travel about and meet the people of the col on v but unfortunately ho had had little opportunity to travel, as most of his work Jay ir. tho office. Ho was,-of all tho members of tho Cabinet, tho one who knew least about farming, but ho eupposed that as ho was a lawyer ho must know something about lambs! (Loud laughtor.)

CAPITAL AND LABOUR. It was a, pity that tho people of the Dominion did not recognise that 'Capital and Labour worn both indispensable to tho country. Some seemed to think that Labour produced everything, and ; that everything should belong to Labour, but no country could develop unless both Capital and Labour worked together. The more capital that was in the community, tho more labour would bo employed, but some of his critics seemed to think that no capital should bo introduced into Now Zealand, if-tho only inforence that was to be drawn from their remarks was made. "Would it not be better for the working man, if tho dairy factories and other works in the Dominion were increased by 100 per cent. ? Tho working population of New Zoaland could not prosper unless inducements were offored for tho introduction of foreign capital.

POLITICAL MATTERS. Touching on political subjects. Mr Hordman said the Govommcnt of the country was prepared for hard knocks; and though tho offorts of their opponents at tho next election would bo strenuous, ycfc ho felt; that tho Government would prove victorious, and that '■'■■ its foundation was upon the triio rock • of sound public opinion." Referring to recent misrepresentations, he said tho Leader ,of the Opposition was a very agile gentleman, and was a past master \ m tho art of evading a difficult situation. For instance, as an example of his half-truths, or rather his suppression J of relative facts. Sir. Josooh had said,, that as soon as tho Maesey Government,. : came into power the deposits in the '.■■} savings banks had been largely. witb-- - drawn. Sir Joseph did not bother, to mention; of course, the actual causes ; of tho withdrawals, which, were-purely ■/. external aud nothing to da.with the ; 3lassov Government at all.

A GOOD DEFINITION

The speaker quoted, amid loud laugh- ; ter, the small boy's definition of an an- : ' : .', truth, which was "an abomination be-. foro the Lord, but a very present help, in . time of trouble." Of course it was ; '■", difficult to predict what would happen'f at the next election. Hβ could say that , Mr "Massey etcod-as a representative of' ono solid party, which had a defined doctrine of politics, and it was known as the Reform Party. At _ the nejet election they would have candidates forward from the "Liberals," from the Red Feds., or the Social-Democrats, and he firmly believed that if Sir Joseph Ward got into power he could only hold office by relying on tho Red Feds. * They all must recognise thdt tho Red ; Feds, did not have tho slightest idea of;.':• supporting tho Reform Party, and the Roormers did not want- them. The • people of tho Bominion would haro.'to decido whether they would be gorernotl by a solid party, (such as the Reform Government was, or by a composite combination, and be run by Messrs 1. C. Webb, il. Semple, and G. W Russell, of Avon. V ' THE STRIKE.

Mr Herdman dwelt at length on the recent strike, detailing the causes that - led up to it, and ridiculing bir Joseph. Ward's oft-repeated assertions that it could have been quelled, in two days. •'No man, nor body of men, and.no Government, could have stopped tho stnko in two days," said Mr Herdman, "and it wus just ridiculous to talk likethat " Sir Joseph's? wild talk that, the . mcro reading of tho Riot Act wouio ..,.- have converted all tho men of Yk oiling.- ■-< ton into special constables, was not •»-. fact, and ho was surprised at a maa with so much experience speaking. *o childishly. The regrettable partof tn<J. whole miserable business was that it ;' was not tho shipowners or the business . men who had suffered, but the workers, who could least afford it, and who had ; been, misled by irresponsiblcs. Thete were any number of workers who were, ready to help their fellow-meu in a..-; proper and commendable way, and for . them ho had nothing but • praise. To work constitutionally to better their r lot was legitimate for any body of men. : There was tho public platform and the Press, by which public opinion could be moulded. Men had the right to combine for the purpose of protecting their interests, and men had a right to say they would not work if tho conditions, in the oninion of the major - -., ity, wore unfair, but to go to the lenaths that tho more rabid of tho l strikers hail done was unpardonable. A PROSPEROUS COUNTRY.. . in conclusion, tho speaker said the country had to tic congratulated on tno great prosperity which had attended it during the last twenty years, and ho ventured to predict that the changes ir. the next twenty years would bo as great in tho way of progress. Mr: Herdman remarked that m Isa)3 tno exports of the Dominion were, i»' round figures, £11,000.000 and in 1012 £19,000,000; in lUO3 the imports were £ while ten years later thej had grown to £23,000.0Gi>. They would bo glad to hear that the Prime ilinisterhad made arrangements for a far better service of ships between ■ Zealand and Canada, and ho predicted that a very great and valuable trade would spn'n.c up these- coun- - tries, ami also ~ with. America. .M^

Herdman dwelt at some length on the prospects of the agricultural and pas total industry, and also referred to tho establishment of tho Hoard of Agriculture, which, ho considered, would be of great value to the Dominion, and would act as a link between tho producers and the Minister of Agriculture. In his opinion, New Zealand was destined to be a small holders' country, and he had no shadow of doubt as to its future. The Minister sat down amid loud applause, and then followed tho toasts of "Commerce," "Tho Auctioneers," and "Labour," proposed and spoken to hv Messrs G. Sheat. E. G. Staveley, G. Gardner. E. "W. Rolph, F. G. Horreli, and D. G. Sullh'an. During the evenine a musical programme was contributed.