Rongotea Notes.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 118, 17 November 1896, Page 2

Rongotea Notes.

fFBOM OUK OWN COfiBESPOHDBNT.j A political meeting was held in Bongotea on Saturday evening last, when there was a fair attendance, Mr Glover being voted to tbe chair. Mr V. C. Ransom, addressed the meeting, and speaking on the present political aspect be said they appeared to have two classes of people, one who supported and the other who condemned the present Government, and it was for them to work the matter oat and see how they were affected by the present Government. He held that the removal of the Property Tax and the substitution of the Graduated Land Tax benefited tbe small farmers snch as those in that district and he gave figures to show how the small farmers were affected. He was in favor of rating on unimproved value for local purposes, and tbe advances to Settlers Act ; he approved of the Lending Board being authorised to make advances for the purposes of starting Co operative Dairy Factories, and the Land for Settlement Act. He thonght the Carnarvon estate should have been purchased by Government and cut up into small acres and let, but he disapproved of land par* chased in tbis way being made freehold. He was in favor of State Firo Insurance and commended tbe Government for having appointed a butter grader and a supervisor of produce landed in England. The reduction of freight on fruit bad been a great boon. to the consumer and grower, while other good works had been carried out by the* Agricultural Department. Mr Mitchell said that the valuation' had been bipher for the Land Tax thanthe Property Tax. Mr Bansom replied that the valne of land had increased in that district. Mr H. Sanson speke in favor of the' change in the incidence of taxation and said the Government deserved every support for what they had done for the' colony. Mr Anderson, also, spoke in favour of' the GovernmentMr B. B. McKenzie thought the change in the incidence of taxation relieved comparatively rich men. There were objections to the operations of the Lands for Settlement Act. The Government had made money scarce thus raising the interest by their own action about two years ago by taking the money from tbe Government Life Insurance and Trust Funds. While admitting the cheap money scheme was a good one, be did not admit that it was due to this scheme only that the rates of interest had been reduced in New Zealand, as it was cheaper in Australia and aU ove* tbe world. Messrs Gray and S. Knight supported the past legislation of the Government. It was decided to hold another meeting at a future date to discuss political matters and the meeting adjourned. Mr Walker, the 1.0. G.T. lecturer, late of New South Wales, gave a very interesting lecture last evening on the power of alcohol on the brain and bloodvessels. He was listened to with great - attention, the lecture being both instructive and interesting. Oar Dairy Factory is now taking in 3704 gallons of milk per day. Tbey made over £1000 worth of butter last month. There wiU be a considerable' increase on this durina Nov. and Dec. One supplier has taken from the factory for milk last month £1 5s per cow. The manager, Mr Drake, is leaving. He has been there from the opening of thefactorv. To show the fertility of the soil in' Bongotea I saw to-day a gooseberry bush,, or I shoold say a gooseberry tree 9ft im height and loaded with gooseberries rightup to the top. Mr Costall has imported from Canterbury a fine young Holstein bull. This will be a benefit to the district from a dairyman's point of view, as Holstein* top the record, making as much as 36* lb of butter per week under favorable circumstances. We have a considerablestrain of Holstein blood in the herds here as Mr J. Knight has had a pure bred bull some time and there is a great num* ber of bis stock in the district.