FARMERS & THEIR NEEDS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1791, 2 July 1913, Page 8

FARMERS & THEIR NEEDS.

BETTER EDUCATION. LETTERS FROM ALL PARTS. BUDGET NO. V. A wide range of opinion is covered in this morning's instalment of the replies to Tue Dominion's inquiries as to the most pressing needs of rural life. By each day's mail fresh batches of letters aro reaching this office,, and many other letters than thoso now appearing 'are already in tyjio and waitipg their turn. . The questions as originally published in the Country Life Issue of The Dominion aro as follow. 1- Aro the. Schools in your neighbourhood training .boys! and girls satisfactorily for life on tho farm? 2. Do tho farmers in your neighbourhood get tho returns they reasonably should from the sale of their products'? 3. Do the farmers_ in. your neighbourhood receive from the railways and roads tho. service they reasonably should expect? 4. Do tho farmers 'in ..your' neighbourhood receive from tho postal service, 1 rural telephones, etc., the servico they reasonably, should expect? 5. Are the farmers in your neighbourhood, obtaining direct/benefit from tho holding of Agricultural Shows? G Has tho work of tho Department .of Agriculture been .of direct benefit to tho farmers in your neighbourhood? 7. Aro. tho farmers, and. their, wives in your neighbourhood .satisfactorily organised to protect tnpir mutual buying and selling interests? 8. Are the renters, of....farms, in your neighbourhood making a satisfactory living? "i v 9. Is tho supply of farm-labour'in your l . neighbourhood.satisfactory? 10. Are tho conditions .surrounding, wage labour on thY, farms, in' your neighbourhood satisfactory to the labourer? 11. WHAT IN YOUR "JUDGMENT IS ■THE MOST, IMPORTANT SINGLE THING TO' BE-. DONE FOB THE GENERAL BETTERMENT OF COUNTRY LIFE? Among to-day's letters in reply to The Dominion's for.farmers in its Country Life issue, will be found many more practical, suggestions for the betterment of rural conditions. ROAD MAINTENANCE. AND NATIVE LA ND RATES.' A Waipukurau settler writes:—l think the schools in this district are very 'well managed. The farmers,., as, far as railage and prices, have not much; to complain of. Renters of. faniis are doing very well. Farm labour is,' fairly plentiful just now. Tho telephone scrvico in this district is very good, but post office accommodation in Waipukurau is extremely bad. ', In my opinion the Government should take over all main arterial roads and maintain them, and should in all oases make it ..compulsory for 'Native laud to pay Tates wherever roads pass through or. by Native land. . THE SCHOOLS AGAIN. . . BOYS PREFER TOWN LIFE. • Mr.' Albert Hooker, of Clareville, in tho W.iirarapa, sends these replies:— 1. Tho training given in the schools generally tends to make tho boys prefer town life'.to farm work. 2. Good returns are got for cheese, wool, and fat stock, but. for potatoes, chaff, and hay prices nie medium. • 1 3. Thero is room for improvement in tho carriage of produce. . 4. The postal and telephone services are • satisfactory." '''' 5. I ■ think' 'agricultural': shows • aro of great.' value to the farmer. 6. Thero is no doubt but that'the Agricultural 'Department is of'great: value to- tho farmer in every possible ■ way, >and their experts aro always ready to give advice. The co-operative experiments are greatly, appreciated by .tho farmer. I trust that the Department will go much further in this respect., 7. Thero is no organisation among farmers hero for buying and soiling. . 11. .1 stronsfly /recommend that tho children be educated for.farm life. CHEAPER TELEPHONES. AND GOOD METALLED ROADS. "F.Q.C." sends tho following concise rcplios-from Dann'cyirko;:—. 1. I know of-no .special instruction; a little eardenins is done. , 2. This is a regular6ale oentro of stock and produce. , Therefore 00-opera-tivQ dairies and co-opprativo stores... Opened roads generally good, metalled and bridged';, no serious complaint against railways. •t. -Postal facilities good; telephones dear. a . 5, Tho shows are of direct benefit, fi. Tho work of • the ' Department of Agriculture is appreciated. 7. Farmers aro difficult people to organise. 8. Renters of farms, are apparently doing well so far, although To Whiteotara settlers (now block) are now complaining. !). Farm labour is not plentiful. 10. Farm labourers aro making lio complaints, and I should say conditions aro .satisfactory. - — . 11. Good metalled roads to each settler and cheaper telephones.. , THE DEPARTMENT'S WORK. APPRECIATED AT ijKATARAWA. Mr. F. . Whiteman, •'. of Akatarawa, answers Questions 5 r.nd G, relating to agricultural shows and tho Department of Agriculture:— 5. Yes, tho shows havo. most certainly been of direct benefit to settlers in this neighbourhood. 6. Yes. Tho Department of Agriculture has. been of great value to the farmer in conducting the experimental plots, which are greatly appreciated.' My only hope is that tho Department will further this valuable work. Tho rabbit: and noxious woeds inspectors are doing all in their power to assist us in every wav with regard to the experimental work through their Field Instructor. DOCTORS FOR THE.BACK-BLOCKS. - AN ANOMALOUS; POSITION. Mr. .John-Brown,'of Range Farm, Mangorei, in Tnranaki .Province, states that conditions in his'district., are satisfactory under all tho heads mentioned' in Questions 1 to 7, and. so far as lie knows the renters of farms ar?' doing well. ,Tho supply of farm labour and the conditions on, the farm are, he thinks, satisfactory to the'labourers. • , . Tho most important siiigle. thing nerdod is, lie considers, to supply doctors Sor the back-bloCks. The farmer, hi' points out, can get advice for his.pig? or.cattle, poultry, bees,'. or fruit trees. He also recives free visits from rabbit and noxious weed inspectors, but' if Iv or his wife or family is ill lie. is helpless. "Look- after oilr pioneers, and the, country; will look after itself.". .' Tho'writer of; the:' letter published in Monday's issuo under the heading "Health in the 'Country Home" writes to. point out that' a mistake occurred in tho latter portion of his' letter. What .ho desired to suggest was that a bridegroom should not be charged double fees because ho married outside- (not;"lnfculo ) the area in which ho'.lived. - I