NGAHEREANA.

King Country Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 27, 26 April 1907, Page 3

NGAHEREANA.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Through the columns of your valuable paper will you permit me to thank '' W. 8." for his very generous appreciation in your issue of the I2th inst., and his kind message of encouragement. Counsel from the wellknown and much-admired author of "Where the White Man Treads," though it be clothed with the grace of modesty, may yet be said to be fraught with the dignity of a command. Its terms I have inscribed upon the tablets of my memory. Ma te atua korua e tiaki. —-I am, etc., W. T. MORPETH. Whangamomona, 19/4/07.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Cock a doodle do ! What ho!! No, sir, this comes from me, not " W. 8." whoever he may be, but he is evkknlly a person who thinks no small beer of himself. Ido not know who "Backblocker" is, nor is it necessary that I or " W. 8." should, .but his letters have been interesting and though there may have been a time when this "W. 8." was "known to every man, woman and child of Te Kuiti and its districts " he must remember that the district is growing and there are evidently others in the district who have, the ability to think and write common sense s relative to the Maori. To have plain speaking it is very desirable some times that a nom de plume should be used for reasons that must be apparent to anyone but that well-known personage "W. 8." I hope your correspondents will still continue to write to your columns contributions to which have afforded much interest to many others besides WEARY BILLY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Addresses such as that delivered by Mr Bell last week, at Te Kuiti, can hardly be expected to do any real good, and, notwithstanding the unanimous vote (which, it is whispered, took no small trouble to get anyone to move) one cannot think that Mr Bell was voicing the sentiments of the genuine farmers. The whole speech sounded like the wail of the money lender, and some of the extravagant language, used by the speaker, did not sound like the Allen Bell we have generally known. Why, because I may think entirely different to Mr Bell, or rather those who employ him, I should be a " disgrace to the woman who bore me " the speaker failed to show. When will farmers take up those matters that specially pertain to their own business themselves and not require a paid agent to come round and tell them what they shall or shall not do. Let us realise that we farmers have many wants and are going to do our best to see that these wants are supplied ; and the supply will mean money, and we at present are in a position of saying that the money CAN be forthcoming from endowments that the different agricultural ventures are entitled to, and are as important to the colon}' - as, say, university, hospital, domain, pilot, harbour, etc., endowments. Every farmer should have the facility of obtaining the very best, and at a

reasonable price. A stud farm at Ruakura is all very well in its way but I see no reason why any "solid farmer" in, say, Ohura, Aria, Mairoa, Awaroa or each centre of ih~ King Country (together with other parts of the colon}") should not be arranged with to care and manage State bull or two, a stallion and a few rams, a nominal sum to cover the cost of keep, insurance and depreciation only being charged. At present, if we want to improve our herds, we have to ride and train miles, and probablv pay twenty guineas for a yearling, which means three guineas for the animal, and the balance for the breeder's name. Now-a-days no butter consumer pays for any maker's name, as the State has said every man can and shall manufacture the best, and it is equally important that the State should say that our cows, horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, etc., shall be of the best, and to bring that about will as-, sist the farmer as it has assisted the butter and cheese producers, flaxmillers and meat freezing works, etc. If Mr Bell had been able to show how the requests of the Farmers' Union, in the way of several exemptions from taxation can be acceded to, and at the same time furnish the farmers with the assistance that they are beginning toidemand (and to be successful, must have) for equal opportunities for marketing stock arid the production of the best, and the best only, he may yet obtain support. One wonders if our Farmers' Union, or the financial friends behind it, are in any way connected with the old property tax ; or. are they finding that when the State becomes the landlord it also becomes a most liberal money lender, and the capitalist has got to branch out in other directions to find investment for his surplus capital. Mr McNab, we take it, is just as able a man, as sincere, and has as good a grasp of what is necessary for the permanent progress of the colony as Mr Bell, and is therefore just as much entitled to his views, which many of us may yet think will be our views. If Mr McNab and his colleagues are doing what they consider is in the best interests of the colony, then, at least, they are not political cowards, for it would be much easier to accede to the demands of the so-called freeholders and have a few years of riotous living, in which much cheap popularity could be gained, and the mischief would not be undone for generations. —I am, etc., BEWARE.