FUTURE OF N.Z.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 November 1931, Page 6

FUTURE OF N.Z.

A MESSAGE OF COURAGE.

LORD BLEDISLOE AT WAIMATE. (By Telegraph—ter tress Association) WAIMATE, November 2. His Excellency the Governor-General was greeted by a large gathering, of farmers and others when he stepped from the train at the Morven Railway Station on Saturday afternoon on the occasion of his week-end visit to Waimate. His Excellency was met by the Mayor, ,sir :o George Dash), and Mr J. Bitcliener , t . M.P., and heads of the local farmers’ organisations, and repre- ■ soptatives of Borough and County Councils.

After a welcome by Mr Bitcliener, Lord Bledisloe addressed the farmers, touch" ing on a variety of subjects. “1 myself am an optimist,” declared Lord Blediloe, in the course of his address; “1 have travelled more on agricultural investigation thaAi any Englishman, and I can say that I have never seen a country anywhere in the world with greater potentialities than New Zealand. Only right methods must be adopted, and excessive national and local body debt avoided.” He touched on the difficulties facing the farmers’ community, the possible benefit from abandonment by Britain of the gold standard, the necessity for curbing government and local body expenditure, the heaviness of present financial commitments, the need f° r care in the fostering of secondary industries, the wisdom of buying British goods, the need for quality and uniformity in our products, the necessity for lower costs of production, and cooperation among farmers. Visits were made to purebred dairy farms and farms running stud, Romney, Southdown and Border Leicester sheejj, Lord Bledisloe exhibited a very keen interest.

On Saturday night th e official recep_ tion was attended by representatives of Waimate local bodies, who accorded Lord Bledisloe addresses of welcome and loyalty, which were given by the Mayor (Mr Dash), and Mr Bitcliener. The Governor-General mentioned the anxiety he had felt in the illness of Lady Bledisloe who was now improving.

He said that the lauditary remarks .respecting the King were no exaggeration, for His Majesty kept close touch with dominion affairs. Lord Bledisloe spoke on farming topics and stated that New Zealand oould be made the best country in the Empire. “If the country is to develop to prosperity, and retain its position in the Empire and the world, it would be wise to copy to an ever-in-creasing extent, those grand, qualities of courage, resource, and self-help which characterised the early pioneers' of this country,” he asserted. '“ 1 want 1 you to' be optimistic^ 1 You have every reason for optimism,” exhorted Lord Bledisloe when lie appealed again for economy. Yesterday His Excellency attended Divine Service at St. Paul’s Methodist Church, he reading the lesson. Tlie sermon, by the Rev. B. Scott, was “The Value of Christian Citizenship.”