INDIVIDUAL EFFORT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1724, 15 April 1913, Page 8

INDIVIDUAL EFFORT.

SOUND ADVICE TO FAEJIEKS. - The necessity for individual effort on the part of farmers was stressed by 'Mr. Primrose Jl'Connelj. manager of the Euakura Barm of Instruction, during the course of an adress at file annual , dinner of the To Awamutu branch of the Farmers' Union, Farmers, Mr. M'Conuell is reported as saying, should realise that they aro tlio, very salt of the earth,.and the backbone and mainstay of the country; and the farmers could only make tho country generally, and tho powers that bs in particular, realise this to the full by becoming strong enough through unity to push just claims, and oV tain at all times a just consideration of their grievances. While forming unions, however, tho value of individual efforts must not be overlooked, for all unions wero dependent on .such efforts for their, ultimate success. Neither should the ; strength of farmers' unions bo used W freely to obtain, succour in times of unavoidable distress. He sometimes thought that we' in New Zealand wero 100 readyto appeal to a paternal Government oil such occasions, for, depend upon it, when this was carried too far, it'.tended to destroy the very bsst quality of tho human raco namely, that spirit of individual independence without which' tho pioneering work of our forefathers would have been impossible, and without which w-e ■ wero in danger of becoming merely a unit in a set of puppets manipulated by a string. As to future prospects, they wero undoubtedly extremely bright; possibly never more so, and as far' as anyone could foresee there were good times ahead for the farmers, for although there might ba fluctuations from time to time high prices Were in tho end inevitable, provided that the Mother Country ■ does not become entangled in a great European war. Wo had changed tho prefix to the name of our country from colony to Dominion, hugging tho belief that we are becoming what wo term independent; but, in his opinion, never at any tiine-in-tlio history of New Zealand wero we more dependent oil the Mother Country than at tile' present moment. Tlio'greatest 'need of tho present: moment was a greatly increased populat ion, and if we did' not; bring this about .some other race would surely do it for us. There was undoubtedly" a igreat future- ' before this wonderful little country, and its agricultural possibilities were great.