CORRESPONDENCE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 28, 3 May 1907, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Your correspondent "Beware" writes under a most fitting nom de plume as it is the watchword of alarmists, who, like horses that shy—a bad habit arising from timidity, defective eyesight, or nervousness —are ever ready to see imaginary dangers. Both are dangerous to man- . kind, but the alarmist alone possesses the power to -destroy a community. Your corespondent's letter in the first place, under the cover of a pseudonym, is a direct personal attack on the reputation of a gentleman, whose reputation is unimpeachable, and who has met him openly on public platform and invited him thereon to refute any of his utterances made on purely public matters. In it also a poisoned dart is covertly shot, by suggesting interested and sordid motives to one who, to those who know him best, has always set a practical exampl? to disinterestedness and generosity. And futhermore I will show, by fair criticism, that the writer suffers badly from defective mental vision. To begin with, in his purblind attempt to belittle the unanimous vote passed, he does one of two things —he either grossly insults the Te Kuitians by representing them as mere puppets, or pays Capt. Bell's platform ability the highest compliment. What poor praise for Mr McNab, a man trained for the bar and with fifteen years' parliamentary experience, who shirks to speak on his Land Bill in a community where the sentiment of genuine farmers is in its favour, lest an adverse motion should he passed. He prefers Waihi and Paeroa —two mining communities. I have to thank your correspondent for giving me an opportunity for enlighting him and your readers in general on the matter of finance pertaining to the campaign, which the Farmers'

Union has organised against the Land Bill. I may state in connection herewith, that I am one of the Auckland Provincial Executive, and that, with the exception of the Secretary, no member receives any emolument, but instead, bears all his own expenses. Now, to return to my subject. Voluntary subscriptions- have been made to meet the out-of-pocket expenses to those gentlemen who have been appointed to cany out the campaign, but they receive nothing" for their time and services, nor do they expect anything. But, sir, if your correspondent had the liberality and intelligence of Captain Bell he would handsomely subscribe to the funds and insist that these gentlemen's services be adequately and substantially acknowledged, for they are devoting their energies to securing for every bona fide settler what should be his birthright, and, if they accepted, surely the offence would not be so grave as that of the Honourable Minister, travelling round on money coming from the hard earnings of the freeholder and leaseholder alike, to explain a Bill, the object of which is to take away their birthright, and which every intelligent country audience that he has addressed has condemned almost unanimously. It may surprise your correspondent to know that Captain Bell is at present a practical dairy farmer, and therefore knows his subject. What is the occupation of " Beware?" Not a farmer I should say, otherwise he would not advocate going cap in hand to the paternal Government for State bulls, stallions, rams, etc. In my district we are all small freeholders, and naturally have the resourcefulness to obtain all these useful animals without troubling the State, and although within a few miles of the State farm, it is rare thing for a settler to patronise its stud. So far the enterprise of the freeholder has more satisfactorily supplied the want. I pass over the remarks about what the State has done, and should do. Your readers will judge for themselves as to their merit. Captain Bell's mission is to place the Union's views on the Land Bill clearly before the farmers, which he has done most SU cc.°F^fully ?t Te Kuiii, as your correspondent testifies, and not to undertake the whole work of the Union. If your correspondent desires further education let him join the Union, and become a subscriber to the " Farmers' Advocate," its official organ, and his mind will soon be disabused of the erroneous opinion that its members are capitalists. On the other hand he will learn that they are small farmers, and chiefly freeholders, imbued with the desire to extend the privilege they enjoy to those Crown tenants who wish for it. Dr Findlay, in his speech at New Plymouth, showed himself as ignorant as your correspondent on this matter, when he asserted that the cry for the freehold came from the capitalist. The Farmers' Union was first organised in a district where there are only small settlers, by Mr Glass, himself a small settler. If Mr McNab and his colleagues, are as earnest and brave as your correspondent claims, they should begin converting their own freeholds into leaseholds, and handing anything they have above £15,000 over to the State. Let them put up a straightout leaseholder for Egmont, or, better still, give the electors of the whole colony an opportunity of deciding the question. It looks now as though they were ignominiously backing down. To descend to the plane of your correspondent, his letter strikes me as the wail of a Government supporter, who sees already the hand writing on the wall with regard to the fate of the Land Bill. I have not attempted to deal with his political vagaries, as the intelligence of your readers will know how to value those statements. —I am, etc., R. D. Duxfield, Chairman, Ngaruawahia Branch N,Z.F.U.