FROM BALLANCE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1801, 14 July 1913, Page 4

FROM BALLANCE.

MOTORS AND GOOD ROADS, A Ballance farmer writes:— I—No. 1 ,do not think tho schools are satisfactory, I am- afraid there is too much cram; the children do not seem to liavo any real practical farming know, ledgo when they leavo school. 2—No. 'They do hot for most* products that are exported, for tho simple reason that tiiey havo 'no control of, or say in, tho sales. 3.—Yes. I think tho roads and railways are satisfactory. Only in regard to roads many of these could bo widened and improved, and rates could be.spent to better udvautago under a system.of contract for maintenance, instead of -day labour. 4.—No. Tho mail servico is scarcely up to date, as our local paper is always a day old when it reaches us,' and tho opinion is held that it would bo more serviceable if tho mail were carried from this end. And there are no rural telephones, or private lines, if they mean the same. s.—Very few farmers exhibit at tho agricultural shows, and I 1 think there aro too many small shows. 6.—1 cannot say whether tho Department of Agriculture is of benefit. 7.—No,' certainly not. There is no organisation at all. B.—l havo heard no complaints from renters of 'farms, but I do think that manjr of the farmers who havo bought at high prices, and have big interest to pay, liave not much for themselves, bus aro simply working for tho money-lender 9.—No. There is generally a soarcity of fahn labourers. • 10.—Yes, I think so, and the general opinion seems to bo that tlio labourer has a better time than tho farmer, who, in most cases, is tho hardest labourer of tho two. 11.—I think that if motor-cars could bo made cheaper, lighter, and simpler to understand, and roads improved, widened, and oven .cpncreto-.tracks.i.put sdown for the' motors—ill" places, at least—that' town and country would bo brought closer together, and country life made more tolerable. Next in importance, in our district at least, would be the cheapening and erecting of rural telephones.