TO ENTICE BRITISH FARMERS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 440, 24 February 1909, Page 5

TO ENTICE BRITISH FARMERS.

A BOLD SCHEME. ADVANCE PAItTY AS STATE GUESTS. -,; "I have ■ seen. somo very good land in. the ( : South Island of Now Zealand, and the crops ' growing on it would do credit, to any country. They are quit© superior to many of the crops "atHome,especially, tho oat-s.'/lt secmsto-bo yH'.-- an /.ideal' country for. growing ..swedes and . turnips, and tho grass lands licwly laid down aro doing remarkably- well.";. :'Vr:,This'is.thO'opinion of Mr.,:W. Norman, an. : enthusiastic.English farmer,;■ one 'of tho : ;bf; the 'Aspatria*Agricultural; Co.llego, • Cumberland, .but' >.now' retired, and enjoying ':;-/;X*a: holiday Itrip to the, farming districts of Australia and New Zealand. ' ■ Will .you tall the' English farmers that ? inquired a Dominion reporter.

. British Farmors Should Emigrate..." . ; ... "I shall tell all that I moot," replied this ' reteraii farmer. "But lam .ot.a millionaire. ;:: ' and! go - about .V eturihg.'.: :. - • Aro there English farmers .waif to hear your "verdict of New-Zeaiand? .- . "Yes. • There will b'o a good' many inter- ""; estcd in-.what I shall tell tliem about your - country, and their .prospects, here." Yon think English farmers would do 1 .well -:;:-Wifefovcom® ; out?:• '$■'' "I certainly do. The curse at Homo is-the /■:, ; -.: Byst-em of t-enure. ~ A farmor's, lease is usually - • •: - subject t-o ' determination at ono or . two years' notice, or sometimes even sis, months. " HohastHus no security.ifor the capital, lie may jnit. ijflti).. his "farin. You have, at least, - not- got that trouble here." -

An Unknown Land.^ Arc English' s'famers/' talkingaboiit' vNew' ■ ; • Zealand; :and thinking of/ coming hero to settle? ' ■■'.j!. "To toll you the truth they know ..very.,little, at; all about New Zealand. If you were to go • to a market town on market day, and quesgenuine farmers about New Zealand," you would be surprised to find how little they know." ■ "We are paying meni at Home.to tell them. "I am afraid these men spend; all their : - time in''the towns, and never go :Out among ■~ r the: real- farmers,-' whero- .they could; do the ' 'best work. You ■-.■■get:, immigrants t I .know, " but they come mostly from tno towns. Some of them profess : .to ,bo, farm labourore, ibiit : . thoy'are not really the sort of. men that.you ought.to get. . You should reach out for the; sons of tho farmers, youths who would, como ■ out here and work .for.-a season or, two!for ■ your farmers iintil:they were ready to'invott' . their capital jn farms oftheir' own."-: : . British Farmers''as State Guests. . ' You think our officials should lecture in the farming villages ? t "It would be even better if you could make the British', farmers themsolves jour - mouth- . pieoesi. Your Government' should invite a party of farmers tc como out as tho guests " of. the. State;'and oee; your country.' They would then .seo the conditions for themselves,, and the farmers at;Homu .would believe what ; they said.;; You know an. audience is inclined ' to;regard with: suspicion anything'that'a paid lecturer says. The visiting farmers should bo, elected sby the 'farmers', in - Various parts , ; of . and-come r out as'their represen- ;.' ' tatives:;. I havo made , this suggestion. in ?'£,£j'Australiai.ind/it Iwas;well/received;'there!" : //:'////i The. cost' . P.; :i£-i-yfry.ik-.z f ifoi* V. :i- '

"Oh, it would cost less than tho expenso . of' sending 3 .cricketing team' Homo." /. ;-. a v TVhen:you, pot Homo/ will-you' organise a party of immigrants? • "If I- am asked,todo so, I wi11.." ; ;[Mr. :.Norman had -"an; audiencof,with, 'tbo Prime-'Ministerj-Sir Joseph/Ward; "sest®da.y, and viator :: he proceeded .'far Featherstonj .to' /begin his: work- of viewing the North Island.]