THOU SHALT NOT KILL PRICE OF WHEAT

Horowhenua Chronicle, 29 March 1916, Page 3

THOU SHALT NOT KILL

PRICE OF WHEAT

« Many novelists have described the remorse and mental suffering or a <man w'ho has committed murder, but it. is not often attempted on tlh'e cinematograph, and so the showing Tif the / film "Thou Strait Not Kill," at the King's Theatre on Mo'nday night., opened up something new to those present, and as the story of the film progressed it gripped them in a way so'dom done by it moving picture. The picture is ha-ed on Edigar Allen l'oe's " story "The Avenging Oonscience,'- and' his poem, "Annabel Lee." 'J'he'young man tempted to murder tee unfile who hats reared him, dreams tha he h.is done it, and in the dream goes through all t'h.> agony of a guinty man who knows that justice is on 1 lis track, and who sees no hope in the next world. The scenes showing Mo.es receiving the command for his people, "Thou Shalt Not Kill," also file sce»e of "The Crucifixion"—shown with bright light breaking through tlie clouds of diarkness, conveyed the lesson in a. way .that impressed it on one's memory ; and it was driven home tiy vivid gi mpses of the fate of tnoso who disobey the command. One of the most moving scenes was where x.iio detective questions the dreamer, ami playing on his guilty conscience taps 011 the table with tiie pencil, like "Wie beating t,f a dead man's heart." Jhe lear and pain in the man's face was snown in a powerful way; so great indeed had these become t-h.it His mind had given way, and his ue-i-eeching fi.jgers would readh out to hold the detective's hand and etop the tapping. It was reminiscent of lta>kulnikov's interviews with Poriiry Perovitch, the Russian chief of police, bo finely drawn by Fostoevsky in "Crwne and Punishment." Finally came a tine picture in which the man awaken ed to find it was only a dream hit a uream that had saved hiui from com noting murder. The whole inture was a fine one. standing o"V> in a chiss by itself, and in is the theatre proprietary secured a picture of great merit, as apart trom the tstory, the photographic . effects were brilliant.

+ A MINIMUM SUGGESTED.

HEATED DISCUSSION Bi FARMERS' UNION. (Ohristchurch Evening News.) There was a heated discussion at the meeting of the Fanners' Union yesterday upon a motion by Mr G. Slieat "That the Government be written to stating that in the opinion of the executive of the Canterbury Farmers' Union, the price of wheat should not be allowed to go under the price of 5s per bushel." In speaking to the motion, Mr Slieat stated that the Government, or Mr Massey, hadi not given them a "square deal." It would be remembered that Mr Massey had come round _ancl had 1 jegged them for patriotic reasons to put as much of their ground in wheat as possible. This they did. For patriotic reasons they bought wheat at 8s per bushel and sowed it, but wlhat with the badi year the yield had not paid them. liutwhat was Mr Massey doing? Owing to the present conditions wheat was selling at 4s 3d per bushel, and it did not pay to grow it at that price. The farmers were not asking for huge profits iiTn ar time, out they had to look to themselves and get enough to pay wages. The Government had done nothing to assist them, and they liau grown what they could, to find it being sok 1 at a ridioiulousiy low price. They had been promised by Mr Massey a reasonable price, and they had not got it. For his fellow farmers he could say "We are going out of wheat." They would put their wheat fields into slieep country, and it wouldi be an ill day for he Dominion when there was nothing else grown but sheep. He could not go in for the luxury of wheat-growing. The farmers had nobly and loyally responded to the call of the Government and had got ''left." The Government could not expect the farmers to grow wheat at 4s 6d__a bushel. He thought in. all lairness the Government should prevent wheat being sold under ss. He lieldi that the millers were making exorbitant' profits. Mr T. W. Li'll, who seconded the motion, claimed thai the tariff between New Zealand and Australia should be equal. The luw price of wheat was the result of the weakness of the Government. Mr Horrell: It is not. We put the , wheat in ourselves with the prospect of getting 7s a bushel for it, and we fell in. Mr' Leadley said that farmers were paying tihe penalty of their own patriotism. He stated that the cost oi ploughing and sowing this_year was the heaviest lie had ever known. The cost of thieshing was greater, and tie could say the farmers were thonvugnly disgusted with the Government. He would advise all the 'farmers he knew to cut down 'their wheat lands to hall of whait they had last year. He strongly condemned he Government, and he criticised the action of the Farmers Co-opeiaive Association, which had not had the wisdom to charter a ship to take the farmers' produce Home. Mr Patcliett did not agree with the motion. They had: to grow wheat tor the sake of tile Empire. He did not think that such a motion should be sent out to the country. It was not what the farmers thought. At the present time it was the duty of the rarrners to grow wheat. __ . Mr Evans (Rangiora) strongly opposed the motion and suggested that it be withdrawn. All legislative enactments had shown how futile the eftort would be. He reminded the the iarmers how in conference after Conference they had begged tor the increase of the import duty on ' wheat and flour. Mr Leadley: We did not want to increase it; we only wanted to retain it. Mr Evans: We didi ask for its retention. and now when tilings are not good we ask for the Government to put an impost on wheat. On the subject Conference itself was divided. Mr A. Weld also opposed the motion. He reminded those present that the real object of their putting so much wheat in was that they hoped for good yields at 7s a bushel. Mr Jones also opposed the motion. "I don't he said, "what Government is in power so long as we win." There was no doubt, he wont on to say, that the farmers put in their wheat not alone for patriotism, ibut on account of what they thought i would be the ultimate profits^ j The .moClon was withdrawn.